Date: November 29, 2024
Pawan Kalyan Urges AP Forest Department
Call for AP Forest Department as Nodal Agency
Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has strongly advocated for the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department (APFD) to be designated as the nodal agency for the sale and export of Red Sanders. During a meeting with Union Minister Bhupender Yadav in New Delhi, Kalyan stressed the need for implementing the Non-Detriment Finding (NDF) report recommendations. These include appointing APFD to oversee Red Sanders auctions and exports, ensuring better management and transparency.
Promoting Legal Trade of Red Sanders
The Jana Sena leader emphasized the importance of formalizing the APFD’s role in Red Sanders trade. This step is essential for repatriating seized stocks, ensuring uniform grading, and maximizing revenue. Red Sanders, a rare and highly valued wood, is predominantly found in Andhra Pradesh’s Seshachalam, Veligonda, Lankamala, and Palakonda hill ranges. Extending into Tamil Nadu, these forests are rich in Red Sanders, but the region has also faced issues with illegal smuggling.
The Growing Demand for Red Sanders
Red Sanders holds significant global demand due to its unique properties. It is used in traditional medicines, woodcraft, and dyeing, particularly in East Asian countries such as China and Japan. Additionally, its applications extend to food coloring, pharmaceutical products, and alcoholic beverages in the United States and Europe. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) recently cleared India to promote private plantations and legal trade of Red Sanders, marking a turning point in its conservation and trade policies.
Forest Department: Efforts to End Smuggling
Pawan Kalyan highlighted efforts to curb illegal Red Sanders trade. He praised Karnataka Forest officials for their integrity in returning Red Sanders worth over Rs. 140 crore, seized in 2017 and 2023, to Andhra Pradesh. He also pointed out the necessity of robust systems to prevent smuggling while enabling legal trade. Smuggling activities, notably in the Rayalaseema region, have been a persistent challenge.
Red Sanders in Popular Culture
The smuggling of Red Sanders gained cinematic attention in the 2021 blockbuster Pushpa: The Rise. Starring Allu Arjun, the film showcased the violent underworld of Red Sanders smuggling. Its sequel, Pushpa 2: The Rule, scheduled for release on December 5, has heightened awareness about the wood’s global significance and illegal trade.