National Biodiversity Authority disburses ₹17 lakh to BMC under ABS mechanism
New Delhi: The National Biodiversity Authority disbursed ₹17 lakh to the Biodiversity Management Committee of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation under the Access and Benefit Sharing framework, the Centre informed on Thursday.
The authority released the amount through the Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board as part of benefit sharing from the commercial use of biological resources. Officials said the disbursement followed the utilisation of soil micro-organisms belonging to the Bacillus genus for developing value-added probiotic products.
According to the authority, the ABS disbursement ensured that communities contributing biological resources received a share of commercial benefits. The funds are meant to support local development initiatives and strengthen community participation in biodiversity conservation.
The NBA said the biotechnology sector was increasingly using micro-organisms as a base for innovation. As a result, the sector has contributed about ₹10 crore to the national ABS fund so far. Officials said microbial resources now play a key role in healthcare, agriculture, and industrial applications.
ABS disbursement strengthens benefit sharing across States
The authority said Maharashtra remained the second-largest beneficiary of ABS disbursement after Andhra Pradesh. Excluding benefit sharing from Red Sanders access, Maharashtra has received the highest share of ABS releases so far.
With the latest payment, total ABS support to Maharashtra has reached nearly ₹8 crore. This support has benefited more than 200 Biodiversity Management Committees and seven institutions across the State.
At the national level, cumulative ABS disbursement has crossed ₹144.37 crore. Officials said this milestone reflected effective implementation of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. It also supported India’s commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, especially Targets 13 and 19.
The authority said the ABS mechanism also aligned with India’s National Biodiversity Targets and the Sustainable Development Goals. Officials added that the framework strengthened livelihoods, empowered local bodies, and reinforced India’s leadership under the Convention on Biological Diversity and its Nagoya Protocol.
