National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has approved funding of Rs 82 lakh to support the conservation of Red Sanders in Andhra Pradesh; a move aimed at protecting one of the state’s most threatened and valuable plant species. The Chennai-based NBA has allocated the funds to the Andhra Pradesh Biodiversity Board to raise one lakh Red Sanders saplings, which will later be distributed to farmers under the Trees Outside Forests (ToF) programme.
The funding comes from benefit-sharing contributions collected from users of Red Sanders and will be channelled back to stakeholders through the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 (amended in 2023). The initiative highlights how conservation policies can be transformed into community-driven action, with local communities and Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) playing a central role.
Native to the Southern Eastern Ghats, Red Sanders is primarily found in Anantapur, Chittoor, Kadapa, and Kurnool districts of Andhra Pradesh. The species is highly prized in international markets, making it vulnerable to smuggling. It is protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which strictly regulates its trade.
NBA has previously released over Rs 31.55 crore to the state forest department for various conservation and protection measures for Red Sanders. This latest funding is expected to directly involve local and tribal communities in developing nurseries, plantations, and long-term maintenance, while also creating jobs and building skills related to biodiversity conservation.
