Eminent wildlife conservationist Sachidanand Das, first Edinburgh-trained forester of Odisha, expired on January 21 last at his Cuttack residence at the age of 89 years. He was trained in forestry for two years from 1945 to 1947. He retired from the State forest service in June 1983 as the chief conservator of forests. Many new chapters were created during his tenure as head of the State forest department.
He was a truthful conservationist in spirit and action; a systematic manager who laid prime importance on conservation of bio-diversities and proper management of wildlife. He had created Kendu leaf division and had started Kendu leaf trade. He had streamlined the whole gamut of operations pertaining to Kendu leaf and created massive opportunities of engagement of rural poor in the sector. Kendu leaf trade not only created job opportunities, but also supported the rural economy to a great extent, especially in tribal and forest dwellers’ zones. He was an ardent supporter of progressive and scientific management of forests, which is possible only through progressive thoughts and scientific planning.
large-scale economic plantations were carried out during his tenure to convert the bald hillock into greeneries and create productive forests. Similarly, vast areas of degraded forests, uneconomic forests, unproductive forests and eroded forest lands were brought under a series of regular plantation programme for sustainable supply of forest produces. The State run social forestry activities through the support of Sweden Government were first implemented during his period with the active participation of rural people, which become very successful and helped ensuring economic progress of the rural poor. This was also very successful input for joint forest management of forest blocks of the State.
The joint forest management is undoubtedly a progressive idea for protection of environment and conservation and management of hundreds of ecological systems of the State, based on physiographic and climatic impacts of regional orders. The joint forest management is a joint effort for protection of ecosystems of the State through participation of people residing within and around several forest blocks.
Although Das was trained in British forestry system from Scotland, yet he had a deep understanding of the local forest ecology and the methods that would be suitable for management of the forests. He knew perfectly well that the State forests cannot sustain owing to the rising pressure on it of a fast growing population. So he thought of successful implementation of all forestry programmes under the banner of social forestry.
Odisha is going to implement Odisha forestry sector development projects through Vana Suraksha Samitis (VSSs) for protection, conservation, restoration and management of various ecological systems of the State which is a continued process of Japan international cooperation agency (JICA). Das had developed the idea in the seventies and eighties.
He was holding charge of Angul forest circle when Nandankanan zoological park was born during 1961-62. He was taking active roles in giving a full shape to the park. He did not want it to be functioning as a mere zoo, but a centre wildlife education and research. The writer was serving then in Athagarh forest division as a forester in Dalijora forest range. The writer had collected several birds and animals from Daligora range and brought them to Nandankanan for rearing in a scientific way.
Das was a humble and honest forester and a hard taskmaster. He maintained probity throughout his professional career and beyond. The writer quite remembers an event that happened in the Angul forest division. A dead tiger was brought to the divisional headquarters, Angul for skinning. The writer was given the duty of skinning the animal and giving preliminary treatment to save the hides and head of the animal from decomposition. A complete memento was prepared and kept in the forest training school at Angul for imparting proper knowledge on tiger to the trainees of the institutions. Das was much shocked to see the unusual death of the young cat. He issued strict instructions to DFO NR Bohida, other officers and students present in the passing -out ceremony of the institution for protection the Royal tigers and their habitat. Now, the Satkoshia wild life division of Angul is going to get the status of the second tiger reserve of the State. The young Royal cat had been poisoned there.
He was not only a conservationist and naturalist, but also a perfect educationist of forest science. During his tenure as head of the Forest department of Odisha, he established the Odisha forest rangers college at Angul in 1979 to train the forest rangers of Odisha, MP, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal under different innovative schemes. The writer got the opportunity to work as a faculty member in the newly functioned forest college as desired by Das. The writer served about 13 years in the State forest schools and got opportunities to come in close contact with Das.
Das never tolerated corruption in his professional life in the least. He never yielded to any pressure from the top bureaucrats. Das also held the charge of forest utilisation division of Odisha when a detailed survey of the State forest resources was done. During the tenure of Das, large-scale teak tree plantations were carried out in Angul forest division.
The verification of interstate boundary of adjoining States was very effectively enforced every year to avoid any dispute. Das always took a lead in the whole exercise. After returning from Scotland, Das was posted at Purunakot range of Angul forest division. Purunakot forest range situated within a valley and bounded by small hillocks and dense tropical sal as well as miscellaneous forest species is a habitat of the Royal tigers. For proper management of the forest and its wildlife, Das instead of staying at the Purunakot, stayed within the forest villages and ran the range administration from there. The writer deeply mourns the demise of Das, who happens to be a role model for the whole forest officials.
(The writer is a former senior forest officer and an environmentalist)