: Floating Restaurant in Maldives to FIFA World Cup, Bamboo Man Leaves Sustainable Mark #IndiaNEWS #Changemakers The excitement surrounding the 2022 FIFA World Cup is rife and fans around the world

Floating Restaurant in Maldives to FIFA World Cup, Bamboo Man Leaves Sustainable Mark #IndiaNEWS #Changemakers
The excitement surrounding the 2022 FIFA World Cup is rife and fans around the world can’t wait for the games to begin. But this year, Indians have a reason to stand proud as the World Cup kicks off.

Set to commence on 20 November in Qatar, the sporting event is a step towards sustainability. The main players will be housed in villas spaced together under a 34,500 sq ft bamboo false ceiling.

And the brains behind bringing bamboo to contemporary construction is Sanjeev Karpe — an electrical engineer by profession who shares how the humble plant became a stalwart in his career trajectory and why he thinks sustainability is so vital to the planet.

Sanjeev Karpe has dedicated his career to ventures that focus on bamboo constructions, Picture credits: Sanjeev Karpe

Borrowing inspiration from the world

The year was 2003. Sanjeev Karpe was engaged in doing contracts for the railways in Kudal in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra where he lived.

It was then that he had an opportunity to visit China and observe the prevalence of bamboo in construction there. During his visit, he noticed exotic modern bamboo buildings, and how the plant’s tensile strength made it a great contender in the housing industry.

Inspired by this, Karpe returned to India and in 2004, started his venture Konkan Bamboo and Cane Development Centre KONBAC.

The not-for-profit company had one aim in mind, which was to design as well as conduct the prototyping and production of premium bamboo products for Indian and international markets.

But there was one nagging thought at the back of Karpe’s mind which was centred around bamboo growing and production – a circular economy in itself.

Sanjeev Karpes bamboo constructions involve farmers growing the crop, Picture credits: Sanjeev Karpe

Partnering with farmers and artisans

“In India, the bamboo that is used for manufacturing items is usually from the plants that grow in the forest,�? he says, adding that he wanted to motivate farmers in Kudal, Sindhudurg to grow it indigenously.

The right way to go about this, he thought, would be to highlight the benefits of the crop.

“We started educating farmers about the immense possibilities that the bamboo crop offered, explained how it is better compared to other crops due to its hardiness and ability to survive erratic weather changes,�? he adds.

Slowly, farmers in the region began understanding the importance of the crop and growing it in their fields. Karpe adds that in 2004 alone they managed to convince 120 farmers to join the bamboo wagon, and today, this number has grown to 10,000 farmers.