NBA Releases ₹39.84 Crore To AP For Red Sanders Protection
The NBA has also cleared a proposal by the state biodiversity board to raise one lakh red sanders saplings at a cost of ₹2 crore: Reports
VIJAYAWADA: In a major boost to India’s biodiversity conservation efforts, the National Biodiversity Authority has released ₹38.36 crore to the Andhra Pradesh forest department and ₹1.48 crore to the state biodiversity board for protection and conservation of the iconic Red Sanders tree species.
With this disbursement, India’s access and benefit sharing payments have crossed the ₹110-crore mark, making it one of the largest biodiversity-linked fund releases.
The NBA has also cleared a proposal by the state biodiversity board to raise one lakh red sanders saplings at a cost of ₹2 crore.
Officials said red sanders, prized globally for its rich red timber, occurs naturally in limited pockets of the Eastern Ghats, mainly in the Anantapur, Chittoor, Kadapa, Prakasam and Kurnool districts of Andhra Pradesh.
The benefit-sharing amount of ₹87.68 crore was generated through regulated access to auctioned or seized red sanders wood by the AP forest department.
So far, the NBA has released over ₹49 crore to the forest departments of AP, Karnataka and Odisha, and to the AP state biodiversity oard for the conservation and research of red sanders. In addition, `3 crore has been distributed to 198 farmers in Andhra Pradesh and ₹55 lakh to 18 farmers in Tamil Nadu under the ABS mechanism.
Forest officials said the latest allocation of ₹38.36 crore would help strengthen frontline protection measures, support scientific management practices, and promote livelihood opportunities through local biodiversity management committees. The funds would also support long-term monitoring of red sanders forests, ensuring the species’ sustainable future.
NBA has also cleared a proposal by the state biodiversity board to raise one lakh red sanders saplings at a cost of ₹2 crore. While an initial installment was released earlier, the remaining ₹1.48 crore has now been transferred.
The saplings would be supplied to farmers under the Trees Outside Forests initiative, aimed at conserving this rare and valuable species beyond its natural habitat.
