Bhubaneswar: In a major boost to biodiversity conservation efforts, the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has released ₹29.40 lakh to the Odisha Forest Department under the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism for the protection and conservation of Red Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus).
The funds were generated as a benefit-sharing amount from the commercial utilization of Red Sanders wood logs that were sourced from the Parlakhemundi Forest Division in Gajapati District, Odisha. These trees, estimated to be over a century old, were originally planted by the then Maharaja of Parlakhemundi. The wood logs became available after the trees naturally fell during the 2018 cyclone, following which the Odisha Forest Development Corporation auctioned the material.
This disbursement marks Odisha as the fourth state to receive ABS funds specifically arising from the commercial use of Red Sanders, joining Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. The NBA has previously released over ₹50.00 crore to the Forest Departments of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, and the Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Board, for conservation efforts, including sponsored research projects on Red Sanders. Additionally, an amount of ₹3.00 crore and ₹55.00 lakh has been released to farmers in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, respectively.
The released amount in Odisha will be channeled towards activities aimed at the conservation and sustainable use of Red Sanders in the state. This initiative serves as an example of how benefit-sharing from the commercial use of biological resources can be effectively reinvested back into safeguarding endemic species and promoting environmental stewardship.