India, Nov. 13 -- The Government of India has issued a release:
In a continuing effort to promote the sustainable use and conservation of India's endemic biological resources, the National Biodiversity Authority has released Rs.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 Cycl...