Is bamboo a tree, and not grass?

GN Bureau | August 17, 2012



Even after six years of the promulgation of the Forest Rights Act which listed bamboo as a minor forest produce and gave tribals the right over it, the tree, or err, grass, is still stuck in the official rigmarole and repartee.

In 2011, the union environment and forests ministry had classified bamboo as ‘grass’ to remove the legal hurdle and confusion. So far, only one tribal village in the entire country, Mendha-Lekha in Maharashtra, has got the right over bamboo. Encouraged by it, thousands of tribal communities are now demanding their rights.  

The fear of losing a money-spinning forest produce like bamboo, the ministry is now trying to turn around and classify bamboo again as a ‘tree’ to deny the tribals their right.

Do you think the ministry is right in declaring bamboo a tree?

Comments

 

Other News

Making India’s textile & apparel sector sustainable

India’s textile and apparel sector sits at the heart of the economy but is constrained by traditional manufacturing approach. It contributes close to 2% of GDP and around 11% of manufacturing gross value added, with GDP share expected to reach 5% by the end of the decade. The sector employs around 45

Caring for cancer patients: the expanded network of facilities

Health is a State subject, and the primary responsibility for providing healthcare services, including cancer care, rests with the respective state governments. However, the Department of Health and Family Welfare provides technical and financial support to States and Union Territories across the country

Capabilities, aspirations of India’s youth limitless: Modi

The capabilities and aspirations of India’s youth are limitless, prime minister Narendra Modi said in his remarks to the media at the start of monsoon session of the parliament on Monday.  "In the past month, the country has achieved many milestones, filling citiz

India gets the first hydrogen train

Prime minister Narendra Modi on Friday laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation various development projects worth around ₹14,700 crore in Jind, Haryana.   The PM positioned the city as a shining reflection of the good governance model. Emphasizing that the entire Haryana

Climate change is stealing sleep

Climate change has at least doubled the temperature-related sleep loss across 1,338 major cities worldwide over the past five decades, highlighting an emerging but often overlooked public health consequence of rising global temperatures. A new study by Climate Central estimates that between 2020 and

Cabinet approves Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme

The union cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi has approved the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (MPMS) with a budgetary outlay of Rs 62,500 crore. It aims to further scale up the production, deepen domestic value addition, strengthen supply chain resilience, enhance global competitiveness. It

Upcoming Conferences





Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter