Bamboo Plantation Project Launched in Telangana to Support Kolam Tribal Community
A pilot bamboo plantation project has been launched in Mullagutta 2 village, Adilabad district (Telangana) to support the Kolam tribal community, classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG). The initiative, part of the Green India Challenge (GIC), aims to restore livelihoods, combat environmental degradation, and address the bamboo shortage faced by the Kolam tribes.
Covering five acres of land donated by local philanthropist Tekam Rao Ji Patel, the project seeks to create a sustainable bamboo supply, enabling the revival of traditional crafts and improving the economic resilience of the community.
The Kolam tribe, spread across Maharashtra, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh, traditionally rely on agriculture, forest labor, and craft-making for their livelihoods. They speak the Dravidian language Kolami, follow a patrilineal social structure, and maintain cultural practices similar to the Gond tribe.
The plantation project aligns with the Green India Challenge, a nationwide initiative promoting afforestation, biodiversity conservation, and climate action, while directly empowering a vulnerable tribal community through sustainable development.
