The brutal killing of an on-duty forest guard by poachers in Odisha is another rude reminder of the grave vulnerabilities frontline forest workers face in India. Prahallad Pradhan, 37, was leading a 13-strong patrolling team when he fell to bullets from a group of four hunters in Dhenkanal district in the wee hours of Saturday. Pradhan had received the best forest guard award from the state government earlier this year. He is among the growing list of guardians of the forests who are under constant attack from organised gangs—wildlife criminals, or stone, sand and timber smugglers. Earlier in May, a team in Rajasthan’s Sariska Tiger Reserve faced a violent mob when they tried to stop illegal encroachment, leaving some members seriously hurt. Jharkhand’s Palamu district reported a series of such attacks from the local sand mafia. If their back-breaking work in hostile terrains, often under the fear of animal attacks, is not tough enough, their expanding role has made them even more vulnerable. According to a 2017 study, forest rangers in India faced the highest number of attacks among all countries.
Odisha had witnessed multiple murderous attacks in 2023, forcing the previous state government to provide legal immunity as well as firearms to the forest staff. There have also been intense debates on arming rangers, given their work involves continuing engagement with forest-dwelling communities as well as wildlife. The counter-argument is about how they would stand up to organised mafia, which is far more equipped. Pradhan was armed with a pump-action gun, but was shot before he could use it. It is necessary for the frontline staff to receive continuous training for such operations, which is not the case at present. It’s even more important to address grave infrastructure gaps and poor living conditions they have to make do with. Deployment of ambulance, protective gears such as bullet-proof vests and modern sensors must be seriously considered.
The government must also fill the large vacancies at the ground level that leave those at work severely burdened. Providing one-time compensation to the bereaved families is not enough, as such tragedies leave the fraternity de-motivated. Comprehensive social security for them should become the norm across states. As they preserve our natural wealth, these environment warriors are also soldiers India must protect.