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| Photo Credit: The Hindu
The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) released ₹39.84 crore to Andhra Pradesh (₹38.36 crore to the Forest Department and the balance ₹1.48 crore to Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Board for the protection and conservation of red sanders. “With this, India’s Access and Benefit Sharing (A&BS) disbursements have crossed ₹110 crore,” according to an official release.
It was stated that, renowned worldwide for its deep red timber, the red sanders grow naturally in selected pockets of the Eastern Ghats, particularly in Anantapur, Chittoor, Kadapa, Prakasam and Kurnool districts.
An amount of ₹87.68 crore was generated through regulated access to auctioned or seized red sanders wood by the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department towards benefit sharing.
So far, the NBA released more than ₹49 crore to the Forest Departments of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Odisha and the Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Board for red sanders conservation, protection and research.
Besides, a sum of ₹3 crore has been distributed to 198 farmers in Andhra Pradesh and ₹55 lakh to 18 farmers in Tamil Nadu.
The present release of ₹38.36 crore to the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department will further empower frontline forest staff, enhance protection measures, encourage scientific management of red sanders forests, create livelihood opportunities through Biodiversity Management Committees, and strengthen the long-term monitoring programme.
Apart from this, the NBA also approved a major initiative to raise one lakh red sanders saplings by the Andhra Pradesh Biodiversity Board at a cost of ₹2 crore.
These saplings would be supplied to farmers, boosting the Trees Outside Forests programme and helping the people in conserving this rare species outside its natural habitat.
Published – November 21, 2025 04:05 pm IST
