A constituent laboratory of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)
(AUTONOMOUS ORGANISATION UNDER THE DEPT. OF SCIENTIFIC & INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH, MINISTRY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, GOVT. OF INDIA)
CSIR-NEERI, Nagpur has transformed a 2-acre wasteland into a thriving Bamboo Bio-Germplasm Conservation Garden (BANSYA VAN), planting 89 bamboo species collected from various locations from India. Bamboo is a fast-growing, high-biomass species, bamboo offers numerous environmental benefits, from preventing soil erosion to combating climate change. India boasts incredible bamboo diversity, holding the second-largest bamboo reserve in Asia, with approximately 137 species. India is home to 137 species of bamboo, belongs to 31 genera covered with more than 16-million-hectare land of India. Madhya Pradesh has the largest bamboo-bearing area in India, covering 1.84 million hectares, followed by Arunachal Pradesh (1.57 million hectares) and Maharashtra (1.35 million hectares)
This project conserves rare and threatened bamboo species while promoting biodiversity and sustainable land use. The BANSYA VAN serves as a research centre for bamboo productivity and ecology, offering solutions for industrial and societal applications. It also addresses environmental challenges like carbon sequestration and soil erosion. This initiative has become a biodiversity hotspot, supporting habitat of various bird species, including peacocks, and attracting students and researchers, showcasing NEERI's commitment to ecological innovation, and appropriate solution to industry and society.
NEERI BANSYA VAN is a botanical collection specially dedicated for the cultivation, conservation and study of different species of bamboo. It is not only a genetic bank but also a platform for long-term studies on why bamboo is important and why diverse species of bamboo are so important. The CSIR-NEERI Bambusetum serves as a living campus and is a conservation hub of rare and indigenous species of bamboo. It is also a platform for advanced research on different aspects of bamboo productivity, root architecture, rhizome system and tensile strength, all of which are critical aspects of bamboo in solving ecological and industrial challenges. This work has already given valuable information about the use of bamboo in industrial and mining applications, as well as in the livelihood of the society. The project also proposes the use of bamboo in carbon sequestration, soil erosion control, sustainable construction, thus promoting the role of bamboo in climate-resilient agroforestry and rural economy.
Besides its research utility, Bambusetum is established as local biodiversity hotspot. It has been instrumental in increasing the avian species composition of the area, supporting 48 species including 16 Indian Peafowls (Pavo cristatus) and has become a destination for students, researchers and eco-tourists. This project has been prepared as a model project by CSIR-NEERI to demonstrate the ecological innovation, biodiversity conservation and sustainable practices. This project can be replicated as a model in land restoration and sustainable resource utilization in degraded areas of India. The BANSYA VAN showcases rare species and plays a critical role in research by providing a controlled environment for the study of bamboo's ecological, economic, and biological attributes. It also enables scientists, farmers, research students, and entrepreneurs to investigate growth patterns, adaptability to different climatic conditions, genetic diversity, and habitat growth of bamboo diversity.
