Another male domain has been breached. As many as 38 women have been appointed as foresters in various divisions to take up the challenging task of protecting the forests and its resources.
V. Thirunavukarasu, Chief Conservator of Forests and Additional Director, Tamil Nadu Forest Academy, Coimbatore, told The Hindu that a total of 150 candidates were selected through the Tamil Nadu Forest Uniformed Services Recruitment Committee to undergo six-month induction training for the post of Forester. “Only 126 recruits joined the training of which 38 were women,” he said.
A total of 50 recruits were trained at the Tamil Nadu Forest Academy in Coimbatore while 77 recruits were trained at Tamil Nadu Forestry College at Vaigai Dam in Theni district.
All are now placed in 12 forest circles in the State and four women foresters have been appointed in the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve. They are Pradeepa (Talamalai), Suriya (Thukkkanaikkenpalayam), Shanmugavadivu Hassanur) and Kanimozhi (Sathyamangalam range).
The newly appointed foresters said that they are ready to take up the challenging task and succeed. “Women perform well in police department and in other challenging jobs. We will prove ourselves and set an example to women aspirants who want to serve in the forest department,” said one of them. Their role is to protect the forest and its resource, plant saplings, monitor various programmes being implemented in the forest area, control the watchers and also carryout patrolling. Also, they have to prevent poaching in the forest areas in their jurisdiction.
I. Anwardeen, field director, Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve said all the four were posted in very sensitive forest ranges where protection was high priority. “They are very enthusiastic, hardworking and committed,” he said. The STR, spread across 1,411.60 sq.km, is in the strategic location connecting Western and Eastern Ghats in the State and holds a significant population of tiger, elephants, leopards, black bucks and other wildlife.
