The Forgotten Martyrs: India’s Forest Guards are dying to save the forests
Dr VK Bahuguna
May 6, 2026
The forest protection is becoming a real challenge for the frontline field foresters like Forest Guards, Rangers and Wildlife Wardens in view of emerging well coordinated mafias with latest superior weaponry. Over the last 30 to 35 years, thousands of forest personnel have lost their lives to protect natural resources all over the world. India is frequently cited by International Ranger Federation (IRF) as the most dangerous country for foresters. In a typical three-year period, IRF statistics have shown that India accounts for nearly 30–40% of all global foresters deaths. India has the highest number of forest staff fatalities in the world, with reports highlighting hundreds of injuries and deaths in the line of duty. Between 2012 and 2017, India accounted for nearly 31% (162) of the 526 forest rangers deaths reported globally. Compared to this between 2006 and 2021, the IRF recorded approximately 2,351 casualties across 82 countries. So, thousands of foresters’ lives are lost at the altar of duties due to attacks by the timber smugglers and poachers; conflicts with elephants, tigers, leopards and other wild animals during patrolling and; occupational hazards like forest fires, malaria, water-borne diseases etc. Not only frontline staff but senior IFS officers like DFOs, Conservators and National Park Directors have been killed in India. The P Srinivas a 1979 IFS officers who was beheaded by the Sandal wood smuggler Veerappan in 1992 is now an icon of civil services sacrifice for the sake of duty and at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy and other such Academies a P Srinivas memorial lecture is arranged every year during the foundation course of civil servants by the government of India. P Srinivas was awarded Kirti Chakra for his sacrifice. Similarly, Sanjay SINGH 1992 batch IFS officer DFO Rohtas was killed by the Maoist in February 2002.
Apart from foresters large numbers of local people are also killed by wild animals in conflicts. For the last 25 years 1296 people were killed by animals mostly in recent years. In Uttarakhand alone during 2025, 40 people were killed by leopards and 72 were attacked by Bears. In this article, however, I want to discuss more about problems of forest department staff because if the remedial measures are taken then the attacks on locals will also be reduced. The members of IFS as also other ranks work in difficult areas where the civic facilities are poor and they have to battle organized timber and mining mafia’s and well equipped wildlife poachers with very primitive tools while the mafias are equipped with advance gadgets and weapons. When the persons are killed or seriously injured they are left at their own fate as their families suffer ignominiously. The compensation from state governments are poor, are delayed and some time ignored completely.
The Indian Forest Service Association (IFS) took note of the pitiable conditions of such personnel and constituted the Indian Forest Service Benevolent and Welfare Trust (IFSBWT) to bridge that gap with immediate financial relief and to compliment the support extended by the States. Initially this was meant for IFS officers but has now been made applicable for the all category of forest personnel in the country. The Trust was originally established in July 2008 by a group of Indian Forest Service officers in Delhi, as a public charitable trust under the provisions of the Registration Act, 1908, so that bereaved families of IFS officers who die in harness can be assisted. But recently it has been noted that largely the frontline forestry personnel are killed or grievously injured while attempting to stop illegal mining, smuggling, encroachment and poaching across several States, therefore, the Trust in January 2026, substantially widen its scope to include all frontline staff as majority of casualties and injuries occur mainly among the Foresters, Guards and Watchers who are the real Green Warriors at the delivery point and only line of defence for the country’s forests. Supporting these frontline warriors and their families was therefore made the foremost priority of the Trust. Therefore, the Trust was re-registered on 11 February 2026, with an expanded mandate covering all categories of forestry field personnel of the country from IFS to Forest Guard and below.
Notwithstanding the attempts by the IFS Central Association, the society and government must take a lead to ameliorate the pitiable working conditions under which a Forest Guard, Foresters, Rangers have to work in hostile environment which is more often than not made vicious by the political patronage of mafias specially mining mafia. To address this issue and improve the welfare of "Green Soldiers," concrete measures need to be taken. First, and foremost is to vest frontline staff with legal powers by granting forest officers the authority for "minimal and proportionate use of force" similar to police to deter organized crime like the sand and timber/poacher mafias. Further legal shield should be provided by protection under the law against frivolous counter-complaints filed by offenders to harass forest staff. Amend state rules to provide Section 187 of BNSS protection to all field staff, ensuring they cannot be prosecuted for actions taken in the line of duty without prior government sanction. Second, provide modern and effective firearms and tactical training to field staff, working in high-conflict zones, so they are not outgunned by poachers. Third, provide financial and social security by ensuring a minimum uniform ex-gratia of at least 50 lakh for unnatural deaths in the line of duty across all states, and continuing their last drawn salary for the family of the deceased until their retirement date. In addition government must extend schemes like the PM Scholarship for children of deceased armed forces personnel to the children of forest martyrs.
Next is to ensure better infrastructure for the frontline staff like in police by Improving remote forest Beats with basic amenities like, potable water, electricity and high-quality field gears like satellite phones, fast moving good quality vehicles, drones, night-vision, GPS etc. A Forest Housing corporation should be established in each state from the 100% grants of Central government in the same pattern as in Police Department. Immediate access to emergency medical support and air-evacuation for staff injured in remote areas must also be ensured. Last but not the least, is to institute President’s Green Gallantry Medals specifically for foresters, on par with Police or Military medals, to boost morale and public respect for the service. On the organizational front it is necessary to separate protection & enforcement from development & silviculture. States need to Create dedicated Anti-Poaching & Protection Units at the Division level. These teams should consist of physically fit, tactically trained personnel whose only job is patrolling and enforcement, leaving plantation and other work to a separate administrative wing. The states need to create an intelligence wing at the Range level to build intelligence network. The Ministry of Environment and Forest need to take up these suggestions on a war footing as country’s ecological warriors can only be neglected at the peril of de-stabilising food, water and ecological stability. (The writer is a former IFS Officer and Chairman of the Centre for Resource Management)
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