BHUBANESWAR: Chief Wildlife Warden Dr Sandeep Tripathi has taken over as Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) and Head of Forest Force (HoFF) of Odisha.Dr Tripathi, a 1984 batch IFS officer, was elevated as the PCCF (General) and HOFF after the superannuation of Dr D Swain. Tripathy, who has 35 years of experience, will also remain in charge of PCCF (Wildlife).
Awarded PhD in climate change in 2013, he received his training from Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun in 1991-92.When Dr Tripathi worked with Forest Survey of India, Dehradun from 1996-2001, he developed a methodology to change from visual mapping of forest cover to digital mapping for the entire country.
During the senior official’s stint at Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change as head, climate change, REDD+ mechanism for climate change mitigation in forestry sector by improving forest was developed, presented, negotiated, and accepted in United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Tripathi also implemented landscape-based forest management project in the country in collaboration with Forestry Commission, Edinburgh.
In Odisha, he has worked as divisional forest officer in Jeypore and Rourkela, Paralakhemundi and Phulbani divisions. Dr Tripathi has also worked as Regional Chief Conservator of Forests in Sambalpur circle.