WTI grants ex gratia assistance to injured and fallen frontline forest staff in lockdown
Noida, Uttar Pradesh, 03 November 2020:
In July, we had reported on four unfortunate cases of frontline staff passing away while on duty, including Mr. Deepu Rana who fell to the bullets of timber mafia as he tried to stop them in Gwalior forest division.
Frontline staff have been working undeterred even during the most stringent of lockdowns imposed since March.
Two of these 16 brave men and women are recovering from unfortunate injuries afflicted while at work. Bishnu Mandal, while working in Nagaon Forest Division, Assam was subjected to an animal attack and Joy Sharma, fell off a cliff, at Pakke National Park, Arunachal Pradesh. Both of them were granted Rs. 25000 of ex gratia assistance by WTI.
WTI also granted ex gratia assistance of INR 1,00,000 in 14 of the death cases reported from the field and recommended by the forest department for this grant.
While three of them, Ganesh P, Rekha and Maliswamy P lost their lives in Eravikulam National Park , Kerala during the landslides there, Ramrath Patel from Indravati Tiger Reserve lost his life in a Naxal attack.
Mahesha and Shiva Kumar drowned on duty at Bandipur Tiger Reserve, while Rehmath Ulla and Palani passed away in a road accident over there.
We assisted the wife of Ajit Singh (Sanjay Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh after his unfortunate death by a lightning strike while on duty.
Surviving family members of Kshitiz Kumar Jyotishi from Kanha National Park, and Ram Awadh Mahto from Valmiki Tiger Reserve who had passed away in road accidents were also included in the ex gratia assistance this year.
Our ex gratia assistance also supported Brikudar Bora of Kaziranga National Park, Bindeshwar Ram Bhagat of Panna Tiger Reserve and Dhanna Lal Marskole of Satpura Tiger Reserve who succumbed to injuries suffered by animal attacks while on duty.
Show your care for wildlife and wildlife habitats, by caring for these brave men and women guarding our natural heritage.
Click here to contribute towards this ex gratia assistance which ensures their family members get necessary and timely financial assistance in the event of their death / debilitating injury.
