Three men, three generations. All associated with the forests. Tree cheers!
Being a forest officer is risky. But for Sambhaji S Ningani (54) , serving the forest is in his blood. For, his father too was in the forest department.
Sambhaji knew that his father led a tough life. Yet, he was inspired to take up forest service despite his family’s concerns. And his family was naturally worried as Sambhaji’s father Siddarayi Ningani, forest guard, died in the line of duty. He was just in his twenties when he was killed by sandalwood smugglers in an encounter.
Despite the tragic end of his father , Sambhaji too joined the forest service. Although his memories about his father are misty, Sambhaji says he was inspired by his father’s daring acts during those days when there were no gadgets to assist in patrolling duties. “He was a forest guard and was killed by sandalwood smugglers in 1973 in an encounter. I and my mother went to the nearby forests to identify his body thrown by the killers on the roadside. Our life turned topsy-turvy after this. My mother worked as a maid, a farm worker and sold grass as pension was not enough to run the family, pay our school fees or celebrate any festivals. In fact, I used to go to my friend’s place for studies and here I used to get food for the day. Further, I used to work in rice mills and iron sheds in the evenings,” he says.
After passing 10th standard, Sambhaji joined the forest department as a forest guard at Nagargali Range in Khanapur taluk in 1985. After working in various beats in the range, he was promoted as deputy range forest officer in 1992-93 and as RFO in 2005. Despite three more killings in this area and the family scared for his safety, he continued with his forest work with all zeal to tackle smugglers and clear encroachments. “My father gave his life and why shouldn’t I follow in his footsteps? I am not afraid of death. I have taken a vow to protect our natural heritage,” he asserts.
Gaining vast experience over a period of 25 years of service, he says all his knowledge of the forests has been gained on the field. Reviving forest wealth is his motto and the 22,000 saplings he planted in 150 hectares of the sandalwood Jalga plot have today resulted in a healthy growth. Being posted in an area known for its biodiversity of Western Ghats, he has been instrumental in taking action against forest encroachers and sandalwood smugglers.
Under the guidance of senior forest officials, he has played a key role in establishing anti-poaching camps and forest checkposts in sensitive forest areas of Khanapur taluk. Sambhaji says that in 2011 many politicians had purchased lands for mining and this area would have been reduced to a Ballari if Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary had not been notified.
His service is punctuated with both joyous and sad moments. Recalling the famous Chikkamagaluru tiger release incident in Bhimgad in 2014, he says it was a challenging task as locals were determined to kill the tiger as it had killed a woman. “It was the saddest day of my life as the tiger had to be killed after it attacked another woman. We tried to convince people that it would be captured but passions were running high -- people had come to burn the range office and there was lot of political pressure on us to kill the tiger.”
Sambhaji is also known for taking up social causes --- when he was serving as DRFO in Nagargali Range, he had helped the police in nabbing the kidnappers of a college girl. He caught the kidnappers and handed them over to the police. In 2017. when a few girls from Goa on a trekking expedition in Chorla Ghats lost their way, he was responsible for their rescue and sending them back to their families.
Carrying out educational and environmental awareness campaigns, Sambhaji encourages and supports schools, colleges, NGOs and villagers to protect the forests and their inhabitants. Not just this, he has taken the lead in providing compensation to victims and their families in wild animal attacks.
Sambhaji’s mission is to increase forest wealth and protect it from encroachers, smugglers and poachers in his native land in Khanapur taluk. Many laurels and awards have come his way and recently, he won the Punyashree Award for his meritorious service and revival of water bodies and removal of forest encroachments in Belagavi district.
Wildlife activist Giridhar Kulkarni says, “The awareness programmes led by him on wildlife killings on rail tracks under the guidance of senior officials is one such maiden initiative in this region. He has conducted a dedicated quiz about wildlife and geography of Belagavi district for school students. He has been in the forefront taking up educational programmes on wildlife in this district.”
Continuing the family tradition, Sambhaji’s son Shivanand (25) too is in forest service. He is a range forest officer in the Anechowkur range of Nagarhole.