Bamboo Cluster in Jharkhand - a case of Dumka

Bamboo Resources 

As per the study by Institute of forest productivity, ICFRE, Ranchi in 2012, bamboo species such as Bambusa bambos, B. nutans, B. tulda and Dendrocalamus strictus are most common in Jharkhand and can be found both in forests and homesteads. 

Bamboo cluster in Dumka

Bamboo is widely available and has been in use by the community for a range of purposes such as housing, food, fencing and household utilities amongst others. In general bamboo and bamboo products are universally available and used across the state. There are 20 cane and bamboo clusters in Jharkhand, of which one of them is in Dumka district. 

• Name of the cluster : Dumka & Masalia Cluster
• District : Dumka
• N. of artisans involved : 1000
• Major products : Basket, Dalia, Santhali Tokri, storage bins
• Expertise of the cluster : Basketry, Mat

Dumka is amongst the largest bamboo cluster in Jharkhand specialising in utility products such as mats, baskets and winnowing trays (Supa). The cluster has traditional artisans following labour intensive production process as shown below. Their products have demand in the local market but are of low value. However the price and demand goes up during the festival and wedding season.

The Foundation for MSME Clusters (FMC) has been taking up interventions in bamboo sector by building an “Ecosystem for Bamboo Enterprise Development”. Following this model, FMC has supported enterprises in a range of sectors and also in Jharkhand bamboo sector through a hub and spoke model, with Dumka as its hub.

Source : Bamboo Resource Status and Business Opportunities in Jharkhand