Representative image only. File | Photo credit: The Hindu
The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has released ₹ 39.84 crore to Andhra Pradesh (₹ 38.36 crore to the Forest Department and the balance of ₹ 1.48 crore to the Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Authority for the protection and conservation of red sanders. crore,” an official release said.
Famous worldwide for its dark red wood, red sanders have been reported to grow naturally in selected locations of the Eastern Ghats, particularly Anantapur, Chittoor, Kadapa, Prakasam and Kurnool districts.
An amount of ₹ 87.68 crore was generated through regulated access to auctioned or confiscated red sander wood by the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department for benefit sharing.
So far, the NBA has released over ₹49 crore to the forest departments of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Odisha and the Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Authority for the protection, conservation and research of the red sands.
In addition, an amount of ₹ 3 crore was distributed to 198 farmers in Andhra Pradesh and ₹ 55 crore to 18 farmers in Tamil Nadu.
The current release of ₹ 38.36 crore to the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department will further empower frontline forest personnel, strengthen conservation measures, promote scientific management of sandstone forests, create livelihood opportunities through biodiversity management committees and strengthen long-term monitoring programme.
Apart from this, the NBA has also approved a major initiative to procure one lakh red sander saplings from the Andhra Pradesh Biodiversity Board at a cost of ₹ 2 crore.
These seedlings would be supplied to farmers, supporting the Trees Outside Forests program and helping people protect this rare species outside its natural habitat.
Published – 21 Nov 2025 16:05 IST
