Growing with bamboo!

The recent initiative taken by some resource-experts, development-entrepreneurs and builders to start thinking about restoring use of bamboo as alternative resource for building, art works and various other tasks related to daily lives of people is inspiring. The themes they offered for talking bamboo now, in the present context of Nepal, and using it are quite appealing: Build with bamboo; Grow with bamboo and Let’s talk bamboo. Experts’ elaboration of the issues at one pre-event brain-storming session, held recently, appeared highly convincing, professional and pragmatic. The topics, when pursued further in public discourse, could contribute to making people conscious of the utility of bamboo in daily life. The material which has been in use in various parts of Nepal for quite a long period could actually be termed as linked with Nepali way of life right from the very beginning of civilization. Glimpses of the same could be sensed in real time in rural areas- in household fences, in demarcation of farms, art-works, in household materials, bridges over streams, agro-works, and in roof-support and home-frames. Even cities like Kathmandu have a number of places named after bamboo-shrubbery–Bansghari-, reminder of bamboo-growing plot. Soft bamboo shoot dubbed Tama in vernacular Nepali occupies special place in festival-menu as sour soup or curry. It went into oblivion over time due to fresh and comfortable attractions of other building materials such as various types of wood, iron rod and cement. Although no comparison could be made about the strength and life-span of each of those materials, the end result produced by bamboo-use could also be taken as satisfactory, durable and lasting. The official website of the National Bamboo Conference Nepal 2025 states: Bamboo makes life; Life makes bamboo. It indicates the real significance of bamboo as a resource. Efficient use of the same is what is required; similarly the will to utilize it as an alternative construction material should be developed through appropriate sensitization and demonstration-programme; after all people at the grass-root level should be made well-informed and ready to embrace it as they ponder over construction. Both development and growth could be facilitated through re-awakening Nepali society about the wisdom of using bamboo in real life. The mission of preserving environment through use of non-harmful renewable resources, safeguarding river banks from flood, keeping slope-lands safe from soil erosion etc. could also be achieved through proper farming or plantation of bamboo.