Question : VANISHING OF BAMBOO PLANTS

(a) whether the Government have chalked out a contingency plan to save the Bamboo plant from vanishing;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether his ministry has asked the State Governments to draw up a plan to save this plant;

(d) if so, the response of the State Governments thereto;

(e) whether the State Governments have requested for funds for special drive being undertaken by them to save the Bamboo plant;

(f) if so, the details thereof and the help being provided by Union Government to State Government in their task;

(g) whether any expertise is being obtained from some foreign countries like China to save this plant; and
(h) if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT & FORESTS ( SHRI T. R. BAALU)

(a) to (f) The cyclic flowering of bamboos is an established phenomenon and there is no information available about vanishing of bamboo plant due to this. However, large scale gregarious flowering entails possibilities of severe forest fires and rodent menace. The areas where this phenomenon takes place has to be suitably managed by the State Government after taking into account all the relevant factors. Although, no separate contingency plan has been chalked out to save the Bamboo plant from vanishing, plantation of Bamboo is one of the items of work under the existing centrally sponsored scheme of Non-Timber Forest Produce including Medicinal Plants which is being implemented throughout the country. In addition, development of Bamboo resource was declared a thrust area, and projects solely for Bamboo Plantation have been sanctioned from 1999-2000 onwards on the basis of proposals received from the State Governments. Till date, 21 projects in 21 States have been sanctioned for Bamboo Plantation with an outlay of Rs 20.86 crores for treating an area of 30,163 hectares during the Ninth Plan. An amount of Rs 11.00 crores has been provided to the State Governments so far.

(g) No, Sir.

(h) Does not arise.