In News
- Recently, lawyers have questioned the rationale of setting up a special court in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh (AP), to try those found guilty of smuggling red sanders wood.
About Red sanders wood
- Scientific Name: Pterocarpus santalinus.
- Known for their rich hue and therapeutic properties.
- Distribution:
- They are usually growing in the rocky, degraded and fallow lands with Red Soil and a hot and dry climate.
- It is an Indian endemic tree species, with a restricted geographical range in the Eastern Ghats.
- The species is endemic to a distinct tract of forests in Andhra Pradesh (Seshachalam Hills).
- Threats:
- Over-exploitation, cattle grazing and invasive species and smuggling.
- Protection Status:
- Red Sanders is in the endangered category in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List.
- It is listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
- Significance:
- They are high in demand across Asia, particularly in China and Japan, for use in cosmetics and medicinal products as well as for making furniture, woodcraft and musical instruments.
- Its popularity can be gauged from the fact that a tonne of Red Sanders costs anything between Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore in the international market.
Source: IE
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