New Delhi, Sept 29 (UNI) The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has granted Rs 82 lakh to the Andhra Pradesh Biodiversity Board for the conservation of the endemic and economically significant Red Sanders tree, a government statement said today.
The move aims to nurture one lakh saplings of Red Sanders, which will subsequently be distributed among farmers to support the Trees Outside Forests (ToF) programme towards the preservation of this unique species indigenous to the region.
The funds have come from the benefit-sharing amount collected from commercial users of red sanders, thereby embodying the principles of the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism established under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, as amended in 2023.
The ABS framework regulates access to biological resources and ensures equitable sharing of benefits with stakeholders, including local communities, individuals, and Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs). This approach exemplifies a model where policy facilitates community-driven conservation. Red Sanders, native to the Southern Eastern Ghats and predominantly found in the districts of Anantapur, Chittoor, Kadapa, and Kurnool, faces severe threats from illegal trade owing to its high commercial value, said the statement.
The species is safeguarded under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and is also listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which strictly governs its international trade.
In previous years, the NBA had disbursed over Rs 31.55 crore to the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department to support diverse conservation efforts for red sanders. The current funding is anticipated to empower grassroots-level initiatives through Biodiversity Management Committees.
Local and tribal communities will engage in nursery development, plantation, and long-term maintenance activities, thereby generating employment opportunities, fostering skill development, and promoting stewardship in the sustainable management of biological resources, pointed out the statement.
