The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has disbursed ₹5.68 crore under the Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) mechanism for utilization of biological resources, with funds channeled to State Biodiversity Boards, Union Territory Biodiversity Councils, and research institutions. The disbursement primarily relates to commercial use of Okra (139 varieties and 28 hybrids), Watermelon (662 varieties and 15 hybrids), and Cucumber (1009 varieties and 14 hybrids) by companies including Nunhems India Pvt. Ltd., East West Seeds India Pvt. Ltd., and Bayer Science and Innovation Pvt. Ltd.
Gujarat received the largest allocation at ₹88.79 lakh, followed by West Bengal (₹78.09 lakh), Madhya Pradesh (₹64.90 lakh), Odisha (₹59.02 lakh), and Bihar (₹45.60 lakh). The biological resources were accessed from markets and traders, making it infeasible to trace to specific farmers or communities, leading to distribution among states where the resources are cultivated.
Additionally, the NBA disbursed benefit-sharing funds to CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) in Pune from an ABS amount received from Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd., Mumbai. The funds must be utilized per Section 32 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, for activities including documentation of People's Biodiversity Registers, conservation of biological resources, ecosystem restoration, protection of wild plant relatives, and community livelihood enhancement.
With this disbursement, the total ABS amount disbursed by the NBA has now crossed ₹191 crore, reinforcing the commitment to directing benefits from biological resource utilization toward biodiversity conservation and stakeholder benefits.