India State of Forest Report 2021: Northeast region lost 615 sq.km bamboo bearing areas in two years

India’s northeast region, a major storehouse of the country’s bamboo resources, has lost 615 sq. kms of bamboo bearing areas in just two years between 2019 and 2021, shows data from India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021.

The loss of bamboo bearing areas is the highest in Manipur with 1,526 sq. km. Bamboo bearing areas in Manipur was 9,903 square kilometre according to ISFR, 2019, which has drastically come down to 8,377 sq. km during the survey of ISFR 2021. Tripura lost 818 sq. km. bamboo bearing areas during this period. The loss in Meghalaya is 403 sq. km, and 182 in Sikkim.

Contrary to this, Mizoram has gained 1085 sq. km bamboo bearing areas, followed by Arunachal Pradesh with 758 sq km, Nagaland with 337 sq. km and Assam with 134 sq. km.

“The north-eastern states and West Bengal accounts for more than 50 per cent of bamboo resources of the country” -the Report states.

Bamboo bearing areas in square kilometres

According to the ISFR, 2021 Meghalaya has the highest amount of Pure bamboo bearing areas with 484 sq km, followed by Assam with 449 sq. km and Mizoram with 383 sq. km. Arunachal Pradesh, the larges north-eastern state has 274 sq. km pure bamboo bearing areas.

However, the Arunachal Pradesh has the largest Dense bamboo bearing areas with 3,148 sq. km and also the largest Scattered bamboo bearing areas with 11,906 sq. kms. This is followed by Assa, with 2,300 sq km Dense bamboo bearing areas and 7,798 sq. kms. Scattered bamboo bearing areas.

Types of bamboo bearing areas, ISFR, 2021 (in sq. km)

“Bamboo thrives in a wide range of climatic and edaphic conditions. Owing to its world-wide distribution, bamboo plays a very important role in bio-diversity consumption, carbon sequestration and soil moist conservation”—the Report states.

ISFR, 2021 also assess the state-wise Culms of bamboos. Arunachal Pradesh tops the state-wise table of green culms with 7,455 million, followed by Assam with 4,813 million culms.

Nezine (nezine.com) Bureau