: Meet Mr Kaziranga, The IFS Officer Guarding Indias Rhinos for 20 Years #IndiaNEWS #Assam Growing up, the Shola rainforest, located in the laps of the Nilgiris, was young P Sivakumar’s backyard.

Meet Mr Kaziranga, The IFS Officer Guarding Indias Rhinos for 20 Years #IndiaNEWS #Assam
Growing up, the Shola rainforest, located in the laps of the Nilgiris, was young P Sivakumar’s backyard. Born and raised in Tamil Nadu, he spent his early years collecting colourful seeds from the forest area. Sometimes, he even planted them, and watched them grow.
His frequent visits to the forest also helped him get acquainted with forest officers in the area. “We used to salute the officers who protected and guarded the forest area. Often, we received chocolates from them, and were encouraged to learn more about the forest,??? says 46-year-old Sivakumar, who himself is now the field director at Kaziranga National Park.
“In 1993, Manoj Kumar from the West Bengal cadre was deputed as Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) in the area. He recognised my love for forests and suggested I join the forest department,??? he says.
Odd jobs to pay fees
When he was in Class VIII, Sivakumar wanted to stop studying due to his parent’s weak financial condition. “My parents worked as labourers with the forest department and were struggling to feed the family. The officer asked me to stop blaming my life and parents,??? he says.

The officer instead motivated and suggested Sivakumar take up part-time jobs to meet his expenses. “After convincing my parents, I started working in phone booths and printing presses, with the forest department as a labourer, and started taking tuition classes,??? he adds. He was appointed as a permanent teacher at a tuition centre, a job he continued for five years. He completed his graduation and post-graduation from Forest College and Research Institute, Mettupalayam. Later, Sivakumar pursued the civil services examination to clear Indian Forest Services (IFS) in 2000.
Dream come true
After completing his duties as a probationary for two years in the Assam cadre, Sivakumar joined as an assistant conservator of forest in Tezpur in 2002. Since then, he has been spearheading various initiatives in terms of community-oriented forest programmes, protecting the endemic species in the Eastern Ghats, and protecting the wildlife.
In 2009, to appreciate his conservation work, the World Bank presented the officer with the National Forestry Award. Later, during a stint in Digboi, he played a crucial role in identifying 250 species of plants for conservation. The department created a herbarium housing native and endemic plant varieties.
“We succeeded in creating a nursery of 165 species. The nursery can help with the conservation and regeneration of the forest. To regenerate local species, at least 100 plants need to be planted in the area. In case of loss of the species in the forest, the plants from the nursery can be used for reviving them,??? Sivakumar tells The Better India.

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