The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) disbursed ₹5.68 crore, or ₹5,68,18,277, under the Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) mechanism on 30 August 2026. The funds were transferred to State Biodiversity Boards, Union Territory Biodiversity Councils, and a national research institution from the commercial use of agricultural biological resources.
A rare blue-violet flower resembling the Neelakurinji has bloomed along trekking trails in the Kudremukh region of Chikkamagaluru district in Karnataka. The bloom has drawn visitors to the Western Ghats, where the species grows in high-altitude habitats and fragile shola-grassland ecosystems.
Tamil Nadu notified three new elephant corridors on 28 August 2026 in the Cauvery North Wildlife Sanctuary in the Hosur Forest Division. The corridors are part of the trans-Cauvery movement route used by Asian elephants and other large mammals between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
A total of 216 rescued Indian Star Tortoises, scientifically named Geochelone elegans, were released into the wild at Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Chandrapur district, Maharashtra, on 23 August 2026. The relocation marked the launch of Project STRIPES, a conservation initiative involving the Maharashtra Forest Department and the Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare.
A new Banas Bio-CNG Model Plant was inaugurated at Vinchhiwadi in Dhanera taluka of Banaskantha district, Gujarat, on 26 August 2026. The facility is a joint initiative of Banas Dairy, Suzuki Motor Corporation, and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). The event also included a Bio-CNG filling station and the launch of India’s first rural cooperative-model “Gramin Bharat Taxi” service with nine vehicles.
Dehing Patkai National Park in Assam has recorded 165 butterfly species, including 37 endangered species, during a biodiversity survey in 2026. The park covers 234.26 square kilometres and lies across the Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts.
Uttar Pradesh completed the physical demarcation of the 700-kilometre Ganga River floodplain zone across 13 districts from Unnao to Ballia. The boundary work was marked on the ground with 7,350 pillars, and the status was placed before the National Green Tribunal in August 2026.
The Karnataka Forest Department confirmed the presence of a male tiger in the Kishkindha Hills of Koppal district on 24 August 2026. A camera trap installed in Temba village of Gangavathi taluk recorded the animal on 23 August 2026, and officials linked the sighting to a rare return of the species to the region after nearly five decades.
Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary in Jamnagar, Gujarat, has been identified as a major breeding site for the Black-necked Stork, scientifically known as Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus. The sanctuary is a Ramsar site and forms part of the wetland network of western India.
The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has introduced the Small River Rejuvenation (SRR) Framework for the restoration of India’s smaller rivers. The draft framework separates small river conservation from the large-river model used for the Ganga basin and places emphasis on local, nature-based measures, scientific assessment, and community participation.
