NBA Allocates Rs 1.19 Crore to States and UT Under Biodiversity Benefit-Sharing Framework

New Delhi, Oct 19 (KNN) The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has disbursed Rs 1.19 crore to 29 State Biodiversity Boards and one Union Territory Biodiversity Council under the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism for the utilisation of agricultural biological resources.

The funds comprise contributions from companies involved in research and commercial utilisation of agricultural biological resources. As the resources were procured through markets or traders, individual beneficiaries could not be readily identified. 

The NBA therefore distributed the amount based on estimated cultivation areas of the respective crops, using agricultural statistics published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

Maharashtra received the highest allocation at Rs 19.46 lakh, followed by Rajasthan with Rs 13.98 lakh and Madhya Pradesh with Rs 13.32 lakh. 

Karnataka received Rs 10.50 lakh, Telangana Rs 9.56 lakh, Gujarat Rs 8.85 lakh, Uttar Pradesh Rs 8.27 lakh, Bihar Rs 4.82 lakh, Andhra Pradesh Rs 4.28 lakh and West Bengal Rs 3.72 lakh. Other states and the Union Territory collectively received Rs 21.87 lakh.

The allocation covers maize, rice, pearl millet and cotton. Contributions were received from companies including Corteva Crop India, Pioneer Overseas Corporation, Pioneer Hi-Bred, Limagrain, Syngenta India and Crystal Crop Protection for research and commercial utilisation of these crops and their varieties.

The NBA said it has disbursed Rs 86 crore generated from the agriculture sector under the ABS mechanism. 

The funds allocated to State Biodiversity Boards and the Union Territory Biodiversity Council must be used for activities specified under Section 32(2) of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, including biodiversity documentation, conservation, sustainable use, research, capacity building and community livelihood development.

Overall, the NBA has disbursed more than Rs 203 crore under the benefit-sharing mechanism to support biodiversity conservation and local communities.

(KNN Bureau)