Nashik:Dapur village in Sinnar taluka, which has received Rs67 lakh from National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), will be using the funds to install a botanical garden to spread awareness about nature conservation.The village was to be presented Rs67.7 lakh from the NBA, which was established in 2003, which is part of ‘equitable benefit sharing’, under Biological Diversity Act 2002.Doulat Vaghmode, programme officer at Maharashtra State Biodiveristy Board, Pune said, “It was in 2024 that a company used the soil from the village to derive mircoorganisms that were used to produce probiotic products. Under biodiversity laws, the sources of the materials have to be disclosed and the company shared the information about the village.”Now the funds received have to be used only for the biodiversity projects. The villagers have sought the help of the MSBD, the forest department and others to discuss and plan on ways to use the funds.Village development officer Praveen Burase, “There are restrictions on the use of funds under the Act. So as of now there are multiple ideas that have been chalked out and they will be decided by the Gram Sabha.”The options open with the village are setting up a biodiversity garden and Information Centre, along with developing tourism spots around a temple at the hill side, or at the village-owned community marriage hall that will be home to the flora and fauna in Sinnar taluka.
