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Subrat SaurabhAuthor of Kuch Woh Pal
Bamboo is one of the three most important and well-distributed naturally occurring plant species of Karnataka; the other two species are teak (Tectona grandis L.f.) and sandal (Santalum album L.). While bamboo is fairly abundant in the deciduous forests of the Western Ghats region, it can also be found in interior Karnataka as well as in the Eastern Plains. However, large-scale utilization of the state’s enormous natural bamboo resources is not feasible in view of certain issues related to policy and management of the forests.
In light of the restricted availability of bamboo from the public forests, growing bamboo under agroforestry and farm forestry to meet the demands of people and industries assumes significance. The book, Bamboo in the Backyard, attempts at providing an overview of the bamboo-bearing forests of Karnataka, their past working, and present status. As its title suggests, the book underscores the need to bring bamboo closer to the people. In recent years, agroforestry, farm forestry and dry-land horticulture have made tremendous strides in Karnataka. Adding bamboo to the list of tree species that are being planted by farmers will add to the plant diversity in their farmlands and aid in enhancing the greenery of the agrarian landscape. Besides supporting and complementing agricultural operations, bamboo can contribute significantly to the farmers’ overall income and general welfare.
DIPAK SARMAH
Shri Dipak Sarmah, a retired Indian Forest Service (1977) officer of the Karnataka cadre, started his career in the Western Ghats, serving in the region for more than a decade. He also served in the Government of India as a Ddeputy Aadviser of the Planning Commission and as Ddeputy Iinspector Ggeneral of Forests, Forest Policy, Ministry of Environment and Forests (1991–95). Later, he served in several positions in the Government of Karnataka including Ssecretary (Forest), PCCF (Wildlife) and Cchief Wwildlife Wwarden, superannuating in December 2013 as PCCF (Head of Forest Force).
Post-retirement, Shri Sarmah has devoted himself to writing on various aspects of forestry, wildlife and agroforestry with a special emphasis on the state of Karnataka. He is the author of several books on these subjects. In 2011, Shri Dipak Sarmah was nominated by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India to the Monitoring Committee to supervise iron ore mining operations in Karnataka. He continues to serve as the chairman of the Committee to date.
