Shillong: A massive bamboo-planting project is sweeping through Meghalaya. The Bamboo-Centric Afforestation Carbon Project targets the restoration of 100,000 hectares over eight years. Compliance Kart Pvt Ltd and the Meghalaya Basin Management Agency currently manage the operation. Developers already planted 2.25 lakh saplings across 5,000 hectares during the 2025-26 window.
Umtung village hosted a major plantation drive this past Thursday. Over 200 locals joined government officials to put native species in the ground. The project targets degraded land in the Khasi and Garo Hills where shifting cultivation, grazing, and fire have scarred the earth. Bamboo makes up 60 percent of the planting mix, with native fruit and forestry trees filling the remainder.
Money drives the mission. The project model promises participating communities at least 70 percent of all carbon-credit revenue. Credits should start accruing in the project's second year. Compliance Kart CEO Alok Panday stated, "The priority was to build trust with communities and establish a sustainable revenue stream alongside forest restoration."
Tech plays a central role in tracking growth. Organizers use drones for mapping and a digital system to measure and verify results. Subhash Ashutosh, representing the MBDA, explained how these technical frameworks will track progress. Meanwhile, government officials emphasized how the work ties directly into rural economic health. Success hinges on the long-term commitment of villagers to keep the trees growing and the forest healthy.
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