Project BOLD: KVIC

• 05 Jul 2021

Why in News

Recently, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) launched a project named Bamboo Oasis on Lands in Drought (BOLD) from the village NichlaMandwa in Udaipur, Rajasthan.

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)

• It is a statutory body established under the Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act, 1956.
• It is charged with the planning, promotion, organisation and implementation of programmes for the development of Khadi and other village industries in the rural areas in coordination with other agencies engaged in rural development wherever necessary.
• It functions under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

Key Points

• About:
  
  • Under the project 5000 saplings of special bamboo species – BambusaTulda and BambusaPolymorpha from Assam – have been planted over 16 acres of vacant arid Gram Panchayat land of village NichlaMandwa.
    
    • KVIC has thus created a world record of planting the highest number of bamboo saplings on a single day at one location.
  • It is the first of its kind exercise in India. It seeks to create bamboo-based green patches in arid and semi-arid land zones.
  • It has been launched as part of KVIC’s “Khadi Bamboo Festival” to celebrate 75 years of independence “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”.
• Reason for Selecting Bamboo:
  
  • It grows very fast and in about three years’ time, they could be harvested.
  • It is 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:
  
  • It will reduce desertification and provide livelihood and multi-disciplinary rural industry support.
  • It will also act as havens of sustainable development and food security.
• Extension:
  
  • KVIC is set to replicate the Project at Village Dholera in Ahmedabad district in Gujarat and Leh-Ladakh region by August this year.
    
    • Total 15,000 bamboo saplings will be planted before August 2021.
• Other Initiatives to fight Desertification:
  
  • Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).
  • Soil Health Card Scheme.
  • Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojna (PKSY).
  • National Mission for Green India.
  • India has ratified the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

Source: PIB