New Delhi, Oct 25 : Recognising and rewarding local communities for acting as custodians of biological heritage, the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has released Rs 18.3 lakh to Biodiversity Management Committees in UP and Sikkim, an official said on Saturday.

The funds represent the access and benefit-sharing mechanism under the framework of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, said the Environment Ministry official in a statement.

These funds will be utilised for activities outlined under Section 44 of the Act and the relevant State Biodiversity Rules, the statement said.

By transferring these funds, the NBA is empowering these local custodians to lead a role in biodiversity conservation and the sustainable management of their resources. Also, the fund transfer is aimed at promoting fair and equitable benefit-sharing, said the statement.

The funds were seamlessly transferred through the respective State Biodiversity Boards directly to two BMCs namely Narrau village Biodiversity Management Committee, located in Akrabad Kaul Taluk, Aligarh District, Uttar Pradesh and Biodiversity Management Committee in the Lampokhari Lake Area, Aritar, Sikkim.

A company accessed crop materials within the Narrau village for producing fermentable compounds from lignocellulosic biomass. Another company accessed microorganisms from water and soil samples collected in the Lampokhari Lake area for research purpose, said the statement.

Earlier, the NBA released Rs 1.36 crore sharing the benefits of commercial use of biodiversity to local communities in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.

This financial support was routed through the State Biodiversity Boards of Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh to three Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) ' Sakharwadi village, Phaltan Taluk, Satara District (Maharashtra); Kunjirwadi village, Haveli Taluk, Pune (Maharashtra); and the Kasganj area, Etah District (Uttar Pradesh) ' according to a statement from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Each BMC will receive Rs 45.50 lakh. This initiative underscores the government's unwavering commitment to the principles of equity, sustainability, and conservation.

The released funds represent a tangible Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) payment following the commercial use of microorganisms sourced from soil and industrial effluent samples for producing fructo-oligosaccharide products.

/IANS