Bamboo in Orissa: Trade and Livelihood Perspective - Vasundhara

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All rights reserved by VASUNDHARA(www.vasundharaorissa.org). For any clarification, contact author at sunlit1968@yahoo.co.in bamboo plantation was created under the FDA scheme during 2003-04. Similarly, under RLTAP the area of such plantations was 1000 hectare and 855 hectare during 2003-04 and 2004-05 respectively(per comm.., Deputy Conservator of Forest, Social Forestry & Afforestation).. Such plantations have been planned even for areas having little or no bamboo forests(natural), but technically there are certain limitations which the silviculturists have to consider. Pure bamboo forests are usually open forests and they do not normally allow other plant species to grow with them. Hence, unless the area is to be exclusively selected for pure bamboo plantation, precautions should be taken so that bamboo does not take over all other species in the mixed plantations. In mixed plantations, bamboo is to be maintained as an undergrowth and this is possible if bamboo is planted in the 2 nd or 3 rd year of the plantation (per comm.., DCF, Social Forestry & Afforestation). Normally the species planted is salia. Either seedlings are used or propagules prepared from rhizomes. Significance in the livelihood of the poor: While around 55 lakh people in the state reportedly depend partially on bamboo for their livelihood(Mohanty D. 2004, op.cit.), some like bamboo cutters and artisans chiefly depend on this resource in one way or another whose total number may be between 1 lakh to 2 lakh, and in terms of family members, around 4 to 6 lakhs. Following is an account of the significance of bamboo in the livelihood of these people: 1. Cutters: ‘The exact number of bamboo cutters have never been assessed, thanks to govt apathy’, says Dandapani Mohanty, a leader of bamboo-cutters union. He however presents his own assessment on the basis of the fact that there were 325 bamboo coupes in Orissa and in each coupe worked 200 to 300 labourers which included mostly cutters, and hence taken the average number to be 200 labourers per coupe, the total figure would be 65000(per comm..). However, this estimation is unreliable since all the coupes are not worked simultaneously; rather in the 4-year felling cycle about 25% of the coupes are worked in a year. Further, Mohanty's figure also includes secondary labourers(like those engaged in road work, etc.) though he says that many of the secondary labourers also worked as cutters (because, infrastructure development like road work ideally precedes harvesting operations). Ramachandra Bakshipatra, another union leader, finds it safe to put the figure(of cutters) at maximum 45000. According to him, about 26000 cutters are expected to work under JK Paper as per the present distribution of forest divisions(including those allotted earlier to Orient Paper Mills) As evident from the following table, the statistics available (particularly in the newspapers) in this regard appear to be controversial because the table shows the number of cutters would exceed 1 lakh(atleast). 51
All rights reserved by VASUNDHARA(www.vasundharaorissa.org). For any clarification, contact author at sunlit1968@yahoo.co.in Area/region/district Approx. no. of cutters Source of information Rayagada district 40000 The Pragatibadi, 5-07-01 Kalahandi district 10000 The New Indian Express, 30-4- 02 Chitrakonda- 30000 The Sambad, 23-3-02 Kalimela (Malkangiri district) Sorada (Gajalbadi) 25 18000 The Sambad, 26-12-01 Boud district 26 2000 The Samaj, 26-3-02 Barbara RF 27 450 families The Samay, 13-12-03 Nayagarh district 1200 + The Pragatibadi, 5-4-02 Cuttack district 400 + Sri Rabindra Rout, OFDC, (Narsinghpur- Dhenkanal Baramba area) Dhenkanal district 100 -do- Athamallik area 2000 Sri Prasanna Ku. Behera 28 Hindol area 2000 -do- Satkoshia 5000 -doarea(Angul) Kuchinda and Bamra 150 Sri Salagram Pradhan, OFDC, Barapahad area (Hirakud sanctuary) Jharsuguda 1200-1500 Sri Suresh Behera and Sri Duryodhan Pradhan, OFDC, Sambalpur Rairakhol Divn 29 . 1500 Sri Prahlad Nayak, OFDC, Rairakhol Sambalpur Divn. 2000 -do- Puri Divn. 1000-1200 -do- Phulbani Divn. 2000 -do- Bonai Divn. 2000 -do- Sundargarh Divn. 2000 -do- 25 Sorada is in Ganjam district, but as a region it covers parts of Gajapati and Kandhamal(undivided) districts also being situated in the boarder. However, another report published in The Pragatibadi on 3-9-01 mentioned the number of cutters in these three districts to be 10000. 26 Formerly a part of undivided Boud-Kandhamal district 27 the region includes parts of Khurdha, Nayagarh and Ganjam districts being situated in the boarder area. 28 Sri Behera claims that the first bamboo cutters’ union was formed in the state in Satakoshia area, in 1990, and was known as Tikarpada Baunshakatali Sharamika Sangathana. 29 OFDC Divisions 52
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