(MENAFN- KNN India) Amaravati, Nov 21 (KNN) The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has released Rs 39.84 crore to Andhra Pradesh for the protection and conservation of Red Sanders, a rare and high-value species endemic to the Eastern Ghats.

Of the total amount, Rs 38.36 crore has been allocated to the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department and Rs 1.48 crore to the Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Board.

With this disbursement, India's Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) payouts have crossed Rs 110 crore, marking one of the largest biodiversity-linked releases in the country.

Red Sanders, known globally for its distinctive deep red timber, occurs naturally in limited forest pockets in Anantapur, Chittoor, Kadapa, Prakasam and Kurnool districts.

The ABS funds were generated through regulated access to auctioned or seized Red Sanders wood amounting to Rs 87.68 crore by the state forest department.

To date, the NBA has disbursed over Rs 49 crore to forest departments in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Odisha, as well as to the Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Board, for conservation and research linked to Red Sanders.

Additionally, Rs 3 crore has been provided to 198 farmers in Andhra Pradesh and Rs 55 lakh to 18 farmers in Tamil Nadu as part of benefit-sharing efforts.

The latest allocation to the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department is expected to strengthen frontline protection, support scientific management of Red Sanders forests, enhance community-based livelihood initiatives through Biodiversity Management Committees and improve long-term monitoring.

The NBA has also approved the raising of one lakh Red Sanders saplings by the Andhra Pradesh Biodiversity Board under a Rs 2-crore initiative, with the remaining Rs 1.48 crore now released.

These saplings will be distributed to farmers to promote Trees Outside Forests and expand conservation beyond natural habitats.

The Authority stated that the initiative reflects the role of ABS mechanisms in directing conservation-linked benefits to local communities and custodians, and affirmed its commitment to working with state agencies and local stakeholders to safeguard India's biological diversity.

(KNN Bureau)

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