Firms told to give 0.5 % of profit for biodiversity conservation

Jyotirmay Thapliyal

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 9

The Uttarakhand Biodiversity Board has directed 1,000 companies and traders to provide 0.5 per cent of their gross profit to the state biodiversity management committees according to the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.

Since its inception in 2006, the board has launched a campaign to make the companies and traders aware about the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. The board has till now issued notices to 406 companies and traders for infringing upon the provisions of the Act. It now plans to issue notices to 1,000 more companies and traders soon.

“So far, the board has been able to generate Rs 10 lakh for the state biodiversity management committees and now plans to further generate Rs 4 crore by 2016 end. Initially, the board had adopted a soft approach and resorted to outreach progammes to make companies and provide them with free copy of the Act,” said Dhananjay Prasad, Deputy Director of the Uttarakhand Biodiversity Board.

Habib Cosmetics Limited is the only company that has voluntarily entered into an agreement with the board and deposited Rs 3 lakh that would be provided to the biodiversity management committees. The amount is in lieu of the bio-resources being taken by the company from the state.

Some of the companies that have been issued notices include Pantanjali Ayurveda Limited, Dabar India Limited and Himalyan Drugs.

There are nearly 900 biodiversity management committees in Uttarakhand. The Uttarakhand Biodiversity Board is headed by Rakesh Shah, senior Indian Forest Service Officer.