Red sanders worth ₹6.2 crore seized 1 held

Red sanders worth ₹6.2 crore seized 1 held

Subject: Environment

Context : The Andhra Pradesh police raided red sanders dump in Tamil Nadu.

Concept :

Red Sanders:

• Pterocarpussantalinus or Red Sanders is a tree endemic to South India.
• They are found in the Tropical Dry Deciduous forest of the Palakonda and Seshachalam hill ranges of Andhra Pradesh and also found in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
• It is used for various purposes such as immunity medicine; it is used in Ayurveda and Siddha medicine.
• The IUCN has classified red sanders as endangered (Assessment year: 2020).

Note:

• Earlier, while farmers could grow red sanders, they required permits to fell and transport the wood.
• The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) revised its export policy in 2019 to permit the export of red sanders if it is obtained from cultivated land.