SYLLABUS

GS-3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment 

Context: Recently, Maharashtra approved the Bamboo Industry Policy 2025, which is aimed at providing farmers with a sustainable and eco-friendly source of income, while boosting the state’s domestic and global bamboo production.

More on the News 

• Bamboo, often called green gold, is a rapidly growing renewable biomaterial that absorbs high amounts of carbon dioxide, restores degraded soils, and thrives with minimal inputs compared to timber or other energy crops.

• The shift to bamboo biomass aims to cut lifecycle emissions, reduce fossil-fuel dependence, enable co-firing without major boiler changes, and improve the carbon intensity of state utilities in line with the National Bamboo Mission and the Maharashtra Mission 2023.

Maharashtra Bamboo Industry Policy 2025 

• Key Objectives: 

o The policy positions bamboo as a reliable, high-value income source for farmers, similar to cash crops, while expanding its domestic and international market potential.

o It expands bamboo cultivation on wastelands through MGNREGA to deliver strong economic, social, and environmental gains.

o The Policy implements mandatory 5–7% bamboo biomass co-firing in all thermal power plants from December 2025, advancing the state’s clean-energy transition.

• Infrastructure Development: 

o It establishes 15 dedicated bamboo clusters, including in Amravati, Bhandara, Sindhudurg, Gadchiroli, and other districts, enabling an annual production potential of 15.72 million tonnes.

o It develops anchor units, Common Facility Centres (CFCs), and micro-CFCs to support artisans, MSMEs, and rural enterprises.

o The Policy implements a ₹4,271-crore pilot project with the Asian Development Bank to strengthen FPOs, sapling production systems, grant support, and technical assistance.

• Incentives and Financial Support:  

o It allocates ₹1,534 crore for 2025–2030, ₹11,797 crore over 20 years, and ₹50 crore for the current fiscal, including a ₹300-crore venture capital fund for start-ups and MSMEs.

o It extends interest subsidies, electricity rebates, stamp duty exemptions, and PLI-based incentives to accelerate bamboo-industry growth.

o It modernises supply chains using GIS, AI, blockchain, drones, and advanced tissue-culture labs, supported by universities and global collaborations.

Significance of the Blending 

• Rural Livelihoods and Farmer Prosperity: Boosts farmer incomes and rural resilience by positioning bamboo as a high-value cash crop and expanding cultivation on wastelands through MGNREGA, especially benefiting tribal and backward regions.

• Clean Energy Transition: Accelerates clean-energy transition by mandating bamboo biomass co-firing in thermal power plants from December 2025, reducing coal dependence and lowering carbon emissions.

• Industrial & Value-Chain Development: Strengthens industrial and value-chain ecosystems through 15 bamboo clusters, CFCs, anchor units, modern processing facilities, and technology-enabled supply chains. 

• Investment and Enterprise Promotion: Promotes large-scale investment and enterprise growth with substantial funding supported by interest subsidies, tax exemptions, and PLI incentives.

• Employment generation and MSME growth: Generates extensive employment and MSME expansion, creating over 5 lakh jobs across farming, processing, bioenergy, manufacturing, and artisan sectors, while stimulating FPOs and start-ups.

• Regional Growth and Vidarbha Development: Develops regional growth hubs, particularly Vidarbha, by leveraging its agro-climatic advantages and wastelands to build a robust bamboo production and bioenergy economy.

Source :
Downtoearth
Energetica
Indian Express