Jaldapara DFO honoured with Eco-Warrior Award for wildlife protection

Alipurduar: Parveen Kaswan, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Jaldapara Wildlife Division, has been conferred with the prestigious Eco-Warrior Award in the category of Wildlife Protection. The award, supported by the Indian Forest Service (IFS) Association, was presented on September 11 in New Delhi, observed as National Forest Martyrs’ Day.

Kaswan’s leadership has been pivotal in strengthening wildlife protection in North Bengal. For the past two years, under his watch, not a single rhinoceros has been killed inside Jaldapara National Park. His team’s sustained anti-poaching operations led to the arrest of Rico Narzinary, one of Northeast India’s most notorious poachers. Several other offenders have been apprehended and convicted in the Alipurduar District Court.

Over the last six years, Kaswan has played a key role in biodiversity conservation across both Jaldapara and Buxa Tiger Reserve. As Deputy Field Director of Buxa, he was instrumental in implementing the Tiger Management Plan and relocating two villages—Gangutia and Bhutia—from the project’s core area, a milestone in tiger habitat management. The Eco-Warrior Awards, instituted three years ago, honour India’s best forest officers. This year, 80 IFS officers from across the country were considered, with Kaswan being the sole recipient from Bengal. The final selection was made by a distinguished jury comprising senior IAS, IPS and IFS officers, along with wildlife experts.

The Delhi ceremony was attended by senior dignitaries, including Bharat Lal, Secretary General of the National Human Rights Commission; SK Awasthi, Director General of Forests and Monalisa Das, Secretary General of the IFS Association and Director General of the International Big Cat Alliance. Reacting to the honour, Kaswan said: “Any award increases the sense of responsibility manifold. But this award is not mine alone—it belongs to the entire Jaldapara team. We are succeeding in protecting the forest together, and this recognition is the result of that collective effort.”

His achievement has sparked pride among forest officials from Buxa to Jaldapara, where he is admired as a calm, humble and dedicated officer.