Context:

To develop green cover in the Indian deserts of Rajasthan, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) and the Border Security Force (BSF) planted 1000 bamboo saplings at Tanot village in Jaisalmer as part of KVIC’s Project BOLD (Bamboo Oasis on Lands in Drought).

About the project BOLD

• The project is the fi rst of its kind exercise in India, launched from the tribal village Nichla Mandwa in Udaipur, Rajasthan.
• Under the project, special bamboo species such as Bambusa Tulda and Bambusa Polymorpha (specially brought from Assam) have been planted over the vacant arid Gram Panchayat land.
• KVIC has created a world record of planting the highest number of bamboo saplings on a single day at one location.  Project BOLD seeks to create bamboo-based green patches in arid and semi-arid land zones.
• It is aligned with the efforts for reducing land degradation and preventing desertifi cation in the country.
• The initiative has been launched as part of KVIC’s “Khadi Bamboo Festival” to celebrate 75 years of independence “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”

Bamboo has chosen

• Bamboos grow very fast and in about three years, they could be harvested.
• Bamboos are also known for conserving water and reducing evaporation of water from the land surface, which is an important feature in arid and drought-prone regions.

Significance of the project

• It will help in reducing the land degradation percentage of the country.
• It will support sustainable development and food security.
• The project would support self-employment in the region.
• The projects will benefi t a large number of women and unemployed youths in the region by connecting them to skill development programs.

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)

• It is a statutory body which was formed in April 1957.
• It was created under the Act of Parliament, ‘Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act of 1956’.
• It is an apex organization under the Ministry of MSME.
• It aims to “plan, promote, facilitate, organize and assist in the establishment and development of khadi and village industries in the rural areas.