Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has said bamboo plantations will be undertaken on 10,000 hectares in the state.
Reducing carbon emissions is of paramount importance in today’s era of climate change and planting bamboo is a viable option for achieving this goal, Shinde said after inaugurating the Environmental Sustainability Summit in Mumbai on Tuesday, an official release said.
Shinde said shifts in natural cycle and issues like unseasonal weather, hailstorms, and heavy rains are attributed to environmental changes.
He highlighted the government’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions through bamboo planting initiatives. Bamboo, known for its potential in maintaining environmental balance, absorbs significantly more carbon than other trees, he said.
Shinde said the government plans to establish urban forests and plant bamboo along major highways in the state. He also highlighted the significance of bamboo as a biomass source, generating ethanol and being approved for use in thermal power plants by the central government.
Encouraging farmers to embrace bamboo cultivation, Shinde said there is a subsidy of Rs 7 lakh per hectare for bamboo farming.
Researchers and bamboo experts from various countries attended the event.
Chairman of State Agricultural Value Commission Pasha Patel, Nadir Godrej of Godrej Industries Group, and Principal Secretary of Environment and Climate Change Department Praveen Darade were present at the event.
