Green India Challenge Revives Kolam Tribals’ Bamboo Craft in Adilabad
The Kolam tribes, classified as PVTG, are skilled bamboo artisans.
Adilabad:The Green India Challenge, led by former Rajya Sabha MP Joginipally Santhosh Kumar, has come to the aid of the Kolam Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) community in Adilabad district, which is facing a livelihood crisis due to the sharp decline of bamboo trees in local forests. The initiative has launched a new mission to create sustainable livelihoods by raising special plantations for tribal communities.
The Kolam tribes, classified as PVTG, are skilled bamboo artisans. However, their traditional craft of making bamboo items is gradually disappearing due to the scarcity of bamboo, which also holds deep cultural significance for Adivasis.
To revive this tradition, efforts are underway to develop bamboo plantations that will both protect the environment and sustain the Kolams’ traditional livelihood. In a remarkable gesture, Kolam community elder and artisan Raoji Patel from Mollalgutta donated five acres of his own land for raising a bamboo plantation in the interest of his community.
On Friday, Santhosh Kumar, along with former minister Jogu Ramanna and Kolam community leaders, planted bamboo saplings at Mollalgutta in the Khandala area of Adilabad Rural mandal. Under the Green India Challenge, 2,000 bamboo saplings are being planted as part of a pilot project, which will later be expanded to 70 locations across Telangana.
Speaking on the occasion, Santhosh Kumar said the initiative aims to both protect the environment and empower tribal communities, particularly in the context of global warming. “So far, we have planted over 20 crore saplings across various regions under the Green India Challenge over the past seven years. Now, our focus is on raising bamboo plantations for the Kolam community to safeguard their traditional livelihoods and cultural heritage,” he said.
He praised Raoji Patel, a senior bamboo artisan, for donating his five-acre land for the cause. “The Green India Challenge will bear all expenses for growing and protecting the bamboo plantation for the next three years. The bamboo grown here will be used by the Kolam community for their traditional purposes,” Santhosh Kumar added.
Raoji Patel said he was happy to contribute his land for the plantation. “I have been trained in bamboo craft at Dehradun and have worked as an artisan for many years. I am proud to support my community’s effort to preserve our traditional art,” he said.
Senior BRS leader Sumitra Anand from Kamareddy, Pavani Goud from Huzurabad, Janardhan Rathod, Charulatha Rathod, and Meenakshi Gadge were also present at the event.
