Bamboo in Orissa: Trade and Livelihood Perspective - Vasundhara

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52 1 st year
17 2 nd year
13 3 rd year
(Source: Deputy Conservator of Forest, Social Forestry & Afforestation, Office of the
PCCF, Bhubaneswar)
Restriction on karadi collection and its impact
Restriction on kardi is not a new thing in the history of forest management in Orissa. Even
during the pre-independence period, foresters were against the exploitation of young
bamboo shots with the fear that it would hinder the growth and regeneration of bamboo 31 .
However, people hardly cared for such restrictions. Even scientists/silviculturists also
opine that some of the shoots should be removed from the culms because too many shoots
may result in poor growth (Rath 2002, op.cit.). However, there is no system adopted by the
Forest Department to allow the collection of 'extra' shoots, as a result of which even
justified collection can be termed illegal and unsustainable.
In 2003, the Forest Department reportedly distributed a leaflet in the Sambalpur district
discouraging people to eat karadi on the plea that it would cause arthritis. However, the
age-old local traditions do not support this claim, nor do the doctors agree to it (The Times
of India,7-9-03, p.4).
In Kodbahal village(Hemgiri block, Sundargarh district) kardi and hedua used to be among
the important items of business. The village earned Rs.10000 to 12000 annually from the
hendua business. However, after the villagers agreed to protect the local forests under the
Joint Forest Management scheme, they restricted the other dependent (on the local forest)
villages from collecting kardi and themselves observed some restraint in this regard, as a
result of which the collection has been reduced by about 60% and the resource of bamboo
has gained from it(per comm..).
Struggle and protest for livelihood security:
About 10 years ago, bamboo cutters in the Ranaba area of Phulbani district once tied up
their senior supervisor to express their anger against his illegally diverting the rice that
came for distribution to the cutters under the World Food Programme(per comm..,
Dandapani Mohanty). In October 2004 the mediris of Berhampur protested in the street
against the restriction on free sale of forest bamboo(salia) and submitted a memorandum to
this effect to the Revenue Division Commissioner demanding for adequate provisions(The
Times of India, 12-10-04, p.4).
Bamboo cutters have been united under the banner of various labour unions. The Bamboo
Forest Employees Union Federation is a state-level organisation to which the JK Paper
Forest Employees Union and similar unions of Orient- and SEWA mills are affiliated. The
31 It was reported that the 4 quintals of bamboo shoots confiscated by the DFO, Boud in August 2002 implied
to the loss of 4000 bamboo culms worth Rs.40000/-(The Samaj, 8-8-02, p.6).
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