Guwahati: From transforming barren land into fertile agricultural terrain and checking forest fires to rescuing over 500 wild animals and supporting her husband in dedicating his time to the protection and conservation of forests and wildlife, women rangers truly embody the spirit of Van Durgas.
They proudly received the Van Durga Conservation Awards in Guwahati during the ongoing Asian Rangers Forum. The event, taking place from December 5 to 8, has attracted 146 participants, including 35 women from 20 countries, and representatives from local communities. Among the participants, 89 are active rangers assigned to vigilantly safeguard various biodiversity-rich protected areas on the planet. This is the first time the event is being held in Guwahati and is organised by the Assam Forest Department, biodiversity conservation organisation Aaranyak, International Ranger Federation (IRF), Universal Ranger Support Alliance (URSA), in collaboration with other NGO partners.
The Forum provides a unique opportunity for rangers and organisations supporting rangers from all over Asia to gather and collaborate on issues affecting rangers globally.
The recipients of the Van Durga Conservation Awards are Heena Patel, Forest Range Officer from Gujarat; Merthilina Sangma, Forest Range Officer from Meghalaya; and Prem Kanwar Shaktawat, Assistant Forester from Rajasthan. The Foundation also presents a special award to the spouse of a Forest ranger for commendable support and managing various personal responsibilities. This time, the award was given to Dipika Vasishtha for her unwavering support and resilience against all odds faced by her husband, Girish Vasishtha (Retired Divisional Forest Officer), during his service in remote and inaccessible areas.
The awards are given by the Exploring Womanhood Foundation, founded by Deepali Deokar.
Maharashtra Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, while commending award winners, said that forest protection and conservation are divine works, and these women have bravely contributed to them.
“Women are advancing in many fields and such an award ceremony will inspire many and increase their participation. The organisers have developed a very important concept and for that I congratulate Mrs. Deepali Deokar, Founder of this foundation,” he said.
Deepali Deokar, the Founder and Director of the Foundation, highlighted that many women are working in this field in the country, and the Van Durga Samman concept has been developed to bring their contributions to society. “The concept has received a very good response in the G20 platform and I hope that many more women rangers will get an opportunity to be represented on such an international stage,” she said thanking the sponsors of the award, Just of Hearts, Pune and Greenlife, Nagpur.
Heena Patel, a Forest Range Officer from Gujarat, received the award for her dedication to the conservation and protection of Mother Nature, enhancing her effectiveness in her work. “She has achieved so many milestones in various field work during her career as a forest officer; like developing a barren land to a fertile agriculture land, raising high density Miyawaki forest on barren land and rescue operations of many reptiles, big cats, numerous birds and animals shows her professionalism,” her citation noted.
Merthilina Sangma from Meghalaya has made commendable contributions to the formation of Biodiversity Management Committees and various livelihood generation projects, such as beekeeping and mushroom cultivation.
Sangma’s citation praises her efforts in raising forest nurseries and plantations with community participation. “She raised forest nurseries and plantations with community participation. Her work to aware people to alter jhum cultivation in Nokrek Biosphere reserve area to other livelihoods helped to conserve the biodiversity of the area! She worked tirelessly to check forest fires and to stop poaching of wild animals and also investigated various crimes under the Wildlife Protection Act. Her work for community support and participation in biodiversity conservation stands higher than others,” the citation says.
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Prem Kanwar Shaktawat from Rajasthan, dedicated wildlife rescuer, has saved over 500 animals, including crocodiles, leopards, and snakes. Notably, she apprehends poachers, demonstrating commitment to conservation. Her focus on Smooth coated otter preservation and behavioural monitoring is praised, inspiring girls to join conservation efforts.
Dipika, a B.Ed. graduate, married Range Forest Officer Girish Vashishth in 1989, navigating challenges in Gadchiroli’s forest area with extremist activities. Despite Girish’s demanding work in tiger reserves, Dipika managed family affairs, enabling him to excel in wildlife protection. The citation acknowledges her dedication, facilitating Girish’s recognition with awards like WWF-India & PATA Tiger Conservation Award-2002, Sanctuary Asia Wildlife Service Award-2003, and Government of Maharashtra Gold Medal for Wildlife Management-2011.
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