On November 13, 2023, the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) released ₹29.40 lakh to the Odisha Forest Department. This funding is under the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism for the conservation and protection of Red Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus). The ABS fund comes from benefit-sharing received from accessing Red Sanders wood logs sourced from the Parlakhemundi Forest Division in Gajapati District, Odisha, from trees that fell naturally during the Cyclone in 2018, and were auctioned by the Odisha Forest Development Corporation. This is part of a series of ABS disbursements by the NBA to support biological resource conservation. To date, the NBA has released over ₹50.00 crore to the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department, Karnataka Forest Department, and the Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Board for Red Sanders conservation and research, as well as ₹3.00 crore to 198 farmers in Andhra Pradesh and ₹55.00 lakh to 18 farmers in Tamil Nadu. Odisha is the fourth State to receive ABS funds arising from the commercial use of Red Sanders. The funds will support conservation and sustainable use of Red Sanders. Release ID: 2189779. Visitor Counter: 399.
Key Entities Referenced
National Biodiversity Authority (NBA): The primary agency responsible for disbursing funds under the Access and Benefit Sharing mechanism for conservation efforts of biological resources.
Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism: A mechanism for sharing the benefits arising from the commercial utilization of biological resources, used here for the conservation and protection of Red Sanders.
Odisha Forest Department: The recipient of the funds released by the NBA for the conservation and protection of Red Sanders.
Red Sanders: The biological resource targeted for conservation and protection under the ABS mechanism.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change: The government ministry overseeing the NBA and responsible for environmental and forestry matters.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
NBA released ₹ 29.40 lakh to Odisha Forest
Department for Conservation and Protection of
Red Sanders
Posted On: 13 NOV 2025 6:21PM by PIB Delhi
In a continuing effort to promote the sustainable use and conservation of India’s endemic biological
resources, the National Biodiversity Authority has released ₹29.40 lakh to the Odisha Forest
Department under the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism for the conservation and
protection of Red Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus).
The ABS fund was generated from benefit-sharing amount received for accessing Red Sanders wood
logs sourced from the Parlakhemundi Forest Division in Gajapati District, Odisha. These trees,
believed to be over a century old, were originally planted by the then Maharaja of Parlakhemundi.
The Red Sanders trees had naturally fallen during the Cyclone in 2018. Following that the Odisha
Forest Development Corporation auctioned the fallen Red Sanders wood.
This release forms part of a series of ABS disbursements made by the NBA to support conservation
efforts of biological resources across the country. So far, the NBA has released over ₹50.00 crore to
the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department, Karnataka Forest Department, and the Andhra Pradesh State
Biodiversity Board for the protection and conservation of Red Sanders including sponsored research
projects. In addition, ₹3.00 crore has been released to 198 farmers in Andhra Pradesh and ₹55.00 lakh
to 18 farmers in Tamil Nadu. With this latest release, Odisha becomes the fourth State to receive ABS
funds arising from the commercial use of Red Sanders.
The funds will support activities aimed at conservation and sustainable use of Red Sanders across the
states. This initiative exemplifies how benefit-sharing from the commercial utilization of biological
resources can be meaningfully channelled back to the conservation efforts.
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VM/SK
(Release ID: 2189779) Visitor Counter : 399
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