3 days ago
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The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has released ₹3 crore to private Red Sanders Wood (RSW) growers in Andhra Pradesh under the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism.
The disbursement, facilitated through the Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Board, supports the sustainable use of biological resources and ensures equitable sharing of benefits under the Biological Diversity Act.
According to a Press Information Bureau (PIB) release, “A notable series of ABS release initiatives aimed at promoting the sustainable use of India’s biological resources, the NBA has disbursed ₹3 crore to 199 beneficiaries, covering 198 farmers from Andhra Pradesh and cultivators of red sanders, along with one academic institution, the University of Andhra. The disbursement, facilitated through the APSBB, is part of the ABS mechanism under the BD Act. The beneficiaries are from 48 villages across four districts of Chittoor, Nellore, Tirupati, and Kadapa.”
Since 2014, nearly 8,000 tonnes of seized red sanders wood from Sheshachalam and other reserve forest areas, mainly in undivided Kadapa and Chittoor districts, have been auctioned in various phases, generating a revenue close to ₹2,000 crore.
Under BD Act, the NBA collects 5% of the sale proceeds as the ABS from the buyers, which must be distributed among the benefit claimers, that is Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs), a statutory local body and other stakeholders for biodiversity conservation in the areas where the resource was accessed.
With respect to this seized wood, the NBA had earlier disbursed about ₹11 crore to the APSBB, and ₹34 crore to Andhra Pradesh Forest Department, and it continues to owe a significant balance.
APSBB Chairman Neelayapalem Vijay Kumar and Member Secretary P. Ramakrishna confirmed to The Hindu that the Board hopes that the pending dues are released soon. The funds will be channelled through the local BMCs for conservation activities in the respective source regions.
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