NBA Sanctions ₹82 Lakh for Red Sanders Conservation in Andhra Pradesh
The initiative is designed to both conserve the species and promote community participation in biodiversity management.
New Delhi, September 30: The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has approved funding of ₹82 lakh for the Andhra Pradesh Biodiversity Board to support the conservation of Red Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus), an endemic and highly endangered species native to the southern Eastern Ghats.
The grant, provided under the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 (amended in 2023), will be used to raise one lakh saplings for distribution to farmers as part of the Trees Outside Forests (ToF) programme. The initiative is designed to both conserve the species and promote community participation in biodiversity management.
NBA officials said the funding comes from benefit-sharing amounts collected from users of Red Sanders and will flow directly to stakeholders, including local communities and Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs). The scheme aims to create jobs, support skill development, and strengthen local stewardship in conservation.
Red Sanders, found mainly in Anantapur, Chittoor, Kadapa, and Kurnool districts, is prized internationally for its commercial value, making it vulnerable to smuggling. The species is listed under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and regulated by CITES, which strictly controls its global trade.
The NBA has previously released more than ₹31.55 crore to the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department for Red Sanders protection. Officials said the latest initiative highlights India’s commitment to its National Biodiversity Targets and reinforces its role in the Convention on Biological Diversity at the global level.
