Ek Titli.Org for heroes of the environment
Bamboo House India was established in Hyderabad in the year 2008 by two first generation entrepreneurs, Prashant Lingam & Aruna Kappagantula.
It is a social enterprise utilizing bamboo as an economic driver for providing sustainable livelihood opportunities to rural and tribal communities in the bamboo sector through business models designed to work at base of the economic pyramid and promote bamboo as an eco friendly substitute to wood, steel, iron & plastic.
How it works.
“There are various resources in local communities which, if harnessed through joint communities, corporate organizations, local authorities and CSO partnerships, based on capacity building and value added activities, can be the basis for providing increased sustainable livelihoods to the poor”, says Aruna. Bamboo falls within at least three distinct areas:
1) Natural Resources
2) Social Development
3) Economic Development.
Bamboo is a part of our rich bio diversity and a source of our country’s floristic wealth; it provides ecological services; and is a commodity that can be used and sold providing employment and income opportunities.
explains Prashant.
The initiative seeks to make a positive contribution towards the role of Bamboo in social and economic change of the communities while safeguarding natural resources and making competitive profits for our enterprise.
Scope
Bamboo House India is investing to create triple bottom line returns.
Financial: Indian Market potential of Bamboo based products is estimated to be Rs.26,000/- Cores by the year 2015. Bamboo Furniture market is estimated at 3625 crores and Bamboo Housing market stands at 1100 Crores.
Social: If tapped properly, it can help more than 5 million people cross the poverty line.
Environmental: Bamboo minimizes CO2 gases and generates up to 35% more oxygen than equivalent stand of trees
Bamboo House India was established with a 4 point clear mandate
- To create market for bamboo based products
- To provide better employment and livelihood opportunities to rural and tribal communities in the bamboo sector
- To focus on bamboo based housing
- To encourage commercial and wasteland bamboo plantations
Organizations that support Bamboo House India are:
1) NationalMissionon Bamboo Applications (NMBA)
2) Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-D)
3) Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
4) AP Technology Development & Promotion Centre (APDTC)
5) AP Forest Department
Why bamboo is considered eco-friendly?
Bamboo minimizes CO2 gases and generates up to 35% more oxygen then equivalent stand of trees.
- 1 hectare of bamboo sequesters 62 tons of CO2/year
- 1 hectare of young forest sequesters 15 tons of CO2/year
How it works
Bamboo removes CO2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis by using carbon as an energy source and converting it into plant tissue which releases oxygen (O2) as a by-product
Benefits of Bamboo
- helps retain water in the watershed
- can be harvested annually
- needs no replanting after harvesting
- is an effective erosion control plant and natural control barrier due to its widespread root system and large canopy
- reduces runoff, prevents massive soil erosion
- sustains riverbanks
- protects surrounding environment during typhoons due to its height
- regenerates and is resilient even after strong typhoons
- helps mitigate water pollution due to its high nitrogen consumption
- requires little attention during its growing/production cycle
- is well suited for agro forestry and healthy ecosystems
- requires only a modest capital investment to generate a steady income
To know more about them, click here.
Author: Swati Maheshwari
Swati is a Communications Consultant and is actively associated with Ek Titli. She loves to write and tries to sing at times. She feels strongly for sustainable living. You can reach her at swati.maheshwari@ektitli.org
To receive updates in your inbox, click here
Contribute:
If you wish to have your work published at Ek Titli, please click here for more details.
