Bamboo is poor friendly plant for shelter construction.

Bamboo plantation in SEVAI

“Bamboo is poor friendly plant for shelter construction” enlightened by Malathi of Vedarajapuram.In Vedajapuram village near Sirkali, in SEVAI Centre, Bamboo is grown for years as it is eco friendly and has utility value in construction of dwellings. Malathi, the garden keeper of the SEVAI centre mentions, “Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants depending on local soil and climatic conditions, primarily growing in regions of warmer. Unlike trees, individual bamboo stems emerge from the ground at their full diameter and grow to their full height of three to four months. During these several months, each new shoot grows vertically with no branching out until the majority of the mature height is reached. Then, the branches extend from the nodes and leafing out occurs. In the next year, the pulpy wall of each Culm slowly hardens. During the third year, the culm hardens further. The shoot is now considered a fully mature culm. Over the next 2–5 years fungus begins to form on the outside of the culm, which eventually penetrate and overcome the culm. This brief life means culms are ready for harvest and suitable for use in construction within about three to seven years. Individual bamboo culms do not get any taller or larger in diameter in subsequent years than they do in their first year, and they do not replace any growth lost from pruning or natural breakage. Bamboos have a wide range of hardiness depending on species and locale. Small or young specimens of an individual species will produce small culms initially. As the clump and its rhizome system mature, taller and larger culms will be produced each year until the plant approaches its particular species limits of height and diameter. Timber is harvested from cultivated and wild stands and some of the larger bamboos. In its natural form, bamboo as a construction material is traditionally associated with the cultures. Bamboo has also long been used as scaffolding for buildings, bamboo is used primarily as a supplemental and/or decorative element in buildings such as fencing, fountains, grates and gutters, largely due to the ready abundance of quality timber. Bamboo can be cut and laminated into sheets and planks. This process involves cutting stalks into thin strips, planning them flat, boiling and drying the strips; they are then glued, pressed and finished. Bamboo intended for use in construction should be treated to resist insects and rot. Several institutes, businesses, and universities are researching the use of bamboo as an ecological construction material. In parts of India, bamboo is used for drying clothes indoors, both as a rod high up near the ceiling to hang clothes on, and as a stick wielded with acquired expert skill to hoist, spread, and to take down the clothes when dry. It is also commonly used to make ladders, which apart from their normal function. Furthermore, bamboo is also used to create flagpoles”. -Govin