April 4, 2018: IFAW-WTI recently provided ex-gratia support to the families of three frontline forest staff who died during the conduct of their duty.

Dhenkenal Forest Division, Odisha: On November 25, 2017, Mr Girish Chandra Biswal was guarding an injured elephant that had taken shelter in a pond near Gatarei village. Due to his advanced age, Mr Biswal was unable to run when the elephant suddenly charged at him, killing him on the spot. On February 6, 2018, Ms Rinku Kumari (IFS), the Divisional Forest Officer of Dhenkanal, presented his wife Mrs Lilyrani Biswal with an ex-gratia cheque of Rs 50,000 in the presence of WTI staff. Mrs Biswal thanked IFAW-WTI for the support and respect shown towards her husband for his dedication to his duty.

^{Ex-gratia cheque being handed over to Mrs Lilyrani Biswal, wife of deceased forest guard Mr Girish Chandra Biswal}

Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala: Ex-gratia support was also provided to the family of Mr Kariyan, a forest watcher employed in the Kurichiat Wildlife Range of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, who was attacked and killed by a wild tusker at around 5.00pm on January 18. On March 12, the Wildlife Warden of Wayanad WLS handed over an ex-gratia cheque of Rs 100,000 to the late Mr Kariyan’s wife, Mrs Malu, at his office in Sulthan Bathery. The Range Officer, Kurichiat and WTI staff were present on the occasion.

^{Ex-gratia cheque being handed over to Mrs Malu, wife of deceased forest watcher Mr Kariyan}

Bandipur National Park, Karnataka: On March 31, 2018, Mr Jagat Ram (IFS), Field Director, Project Tiger – Karnataka, handed over an ex-gratia cheque of Rs 100,000 to Mrs Rukmavva Pujari, mother of deceased forest watcher Mr Maruthi Pujari, who had died in a road accident while on duty in Bandipur National Park. Mr Pujari was just 27 years old and the ex-gratia support will help the family tide over the immediate crisis caused by the untimely departure of its sole breadwinner.

^{Ex-gratia cheque being handed over to Mrs Rukmavva Pujari, mother of deceased forest watcher Mr Maruthi Pujari}

IFAW-WTI’s Supplementary Accident Assurance Scheme is the only NGO-run scheme that brings frontline forest staff across India under an ex-gratia umbrella, providing coverage of up to Rs 100,000 in case of death and a partial amount in case of permanent disability.

The forest departments of 23 states have joined this scheme thus far, with over 20,000 frontline forest personnel across the country having been covered against death or disability while on duty. Nearly 150 families have availed this ex-gratia benefit in the last 15 years. The Guardians of the Wild (Van Rakshak) Project, under which this scheme falls, has also trained and equipped over 16,000 forest personnel in more than 150 Protected Areas of India, as well as transboundary areas in Bhutan.