Mysuru: Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa inaugurated Vrikshotsava-2019 organised by the Forest Department in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

Vrikshotsava is termed by the Forest Department as the “Celebration of Forests, Wildlife and Environment.” It was also celebrated to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday on Sept.17 with people of Karnataka taking a pledge to ensure “Forests for Water, Plastic-free Environment and Afforestation.”

As part of this initiative, the Forest Department has also come out with a project “Be a Bamboo Grower,” for the farmers asking them to avail great financial benefits. The benefits include subsidy of Rs.50,000 per hectare if bamboo is planted — in the first year Rs.25,000 for planting 375-450 plants; Rs.15,000 in the second year if 80 per cent of the plants have survived and Rs.10,000 in the third year for 100 per cent survival.

The Department has asked the people to register as farmer at: www.nbm.nic.in. Now, what is nbm? It means National Bamboo Mission. The restructured National Bamboo Mission (NBM) was approved in April 2018 for implementation till the end of 14th Finance Commission, that is, 2019-20. The scheme aims to inter-alia supplement farm income of farmers with focus on the development of complete value chain of bamboo sector linking growers with industry.