About twenty five per cent of the bamboo  forests have depleted in Karnataka. The depletion is one of the reasons for elephants turning towards villages in search of agricultural crops. The Karnataka Forest Department is taking steps to regenerate bamboo which is the staple fodder of elephants.

The extent and impact of bamboo reduction was discussed at the silviculturists’ conference in Bangalore recently and a strategy to regenerate bamboo was chalked out as well. 

Bamboo depletion has put a stress on the wild life and elephant movement, particularly through corridors. The Forest Department is gearing its efforts  towards increasing miscellaneous forestry- including bamboo regeneration by discouraging plantations of teak, eucalyptus, acasia etc in the forests, said Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, A K Varma.

Sign of death

A few decades ago mixed forests predominantly filled with bamboo were found in Nagarahole, Bandipur, forests of Uttara Kannada and Shimoga, he explained. But, bamboo was cleared to plant eucalyptus, acasia, teak etc which are commercially viable.

Supply

In some of these areas, it was also supplied at concessional rates to paper mills and industries, which resulted in further depletion in bamboo, he said. Now it has entered its flowering cycle, a sign of its death.

Flowering of bamboo is prevalent in almost all the forests of the State, but the degree varies--while it is more pronounced in Shimoga, Kollegal and Uttara Kannada, it is still not significant in forests of Kodagu.

Species like teak, acasia and silver oak are monoculture plants and do not provide  fodder to elephants. “By allowing these trees to cover national forest area, we will be putting stress on fodder availability in forest,” said Mr Varma.

Apart from fodder, bamboo in Karnataka is used for industry-like paper and pulp making by paper mills,  the Sericulture and Agarbathi industry. Bamboo is widely used by the Medars who are scheduled tribes for making various utensils, furniture etc. 

The Department has asked the Centre Rs 130 crores under the Bamboo Mission for the regeneration of bamboo.