Conservation in Uttar Pradesh is increasingly being shaped not only by protecting individual species, but by building systems that connect habitat protection, enforcement, scientific planning and community participation.
Shiva Shankar, a 2021-batch Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre and currently Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Kashi Wildlife Division, Ramnagar, Varanasi, has worked across several wildlife landscapes, including Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, Kashi, Chandraprabha and Surha Tal. His conservation work has included strengthening Project Gharial, responding to human-wildlife conflict, tackling poaching and encroachment, developing turtle conservation infrastructure and improving wetland management.
During his Katarniaghat tenure from January 2024 to June 2025, more than 20 conflict leopards were rescued, including eight within 20 days, while over 40 wildlife offenders were sent to prison and more than 10 vehicles involved in illegal activities were confiscated. More than 90 kilometres of chain-link fencing and over 5,000 LED and solar lights across more than 220 forest-adjoining villages were also installed.
In Varanasi, a conservation corpus of around ₹9 crore was established for turtle conservation, with the interest intended to support future protection work. His work has now been recognised through a nomination for the Eco Warrior Awards 2026 under the Wildlife Protection & Conservation category.
From Gharials To Human
Shankar’s conservation journey took shape at Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in Bahraich, a diverse Terai landscape of forests, grasslands, wetlands and river channels that supports gharials, crocodiles, Gangetic dolphins, tigers, leopards, elephants, rhinos and a wide range of birds. Alongside this biodiversity, the landscape has also faced frequent human-wildlife conflict and wildlife-related offences, making field-level intervention a critical part of conservation. Shankar recalled the intensity of the situation, saying, “Most of the human-wildlife conflicts take place there.
So, due to frequent human-wildlife conflicts, there was a lot of need for patrolling.” The department responded by increasing day and night patrols and strengthening its response to conflict situations. More than 20 conflict leopards were rescued during his tenure, with eight rescued within a 20-day period. The approach also extended to prevention. More than 90 kilometres of chain-link fencing were installed in vulnerable stretches, while more than 5,000 LED and solar lights were installed across more than 220 villages adjoining the forest through a CSR partnership with Philips India.
The intention was to reduce darkness around settlements, improve community safety and reduce opportunities for unexpected encounters between people and wildlife. Shankar also participated personally in night patrols, reflecting the field-oriented approach adopted during the posting.
A Fund For Future Turtle Conservation
One of the central initiatives during Shankar’s Katarniaghat tenure was the strengthening of Project Gharial, a species-specific recovery project focused on one of India’s threatened reptiles. The project was inaugurated at Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav. Rather than treating gharial conservation simply as a matter of increasing animal numbers, the approach focused on protecting the wider river ecosystem. Gharials depend on relatively undisturbed river stretches, suitable nesting and basking banks, clean water and reduced human disturbance, including threats associated with fishing.
Habitat protection, monitoring, nesting-site security, anti-poaching vigilance and frontline staff capacity building therefore formed part of the broader conservation framework. The same river-focused approach extended to crocodiles and Gangetic dolphins. Enforcement remained another important component. During his posting, cases involving poaching, illicit felling, illegal activities and encroachment were pursued, with more than 40 wildlife offenders, including Indian and Nepalese nationals, sent to prison.
More than 10 vehicles involved in illegal activities were confiscated, while penalties and fines collected amounted to several lakhs of rupees. In Kashi Wildlife Division, where Shankar moved in July 2025, the Ganga became the centre of another conservation effort. Work was undertaken to strengthen the Sarnath Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, with the proposed conservation hub covering rescue, rehabilitation, veterinary care, quarantine, head-starting, awareness and eventual release.
During his tenure, a Conservation Management and Development Society was also established, with around ₹9 crore invested as a corpus for turtle conservation. The principal is intended to remain intact, while the interest generated is to support conservation and protection activities. Explaining the rationale, Shankar said the objective was to ensure that “without being dependent on any state team, we will have our own fund” for turtle management and conservation.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Shiva Shankar’s work highlights an important dimension of wildlife conservation: protecting animals cannot be separated from protecting the landscapes and communities around them. A gharial cannot survive without a functioning river ecosystem, just as long-term protection of forests is difficult when communities living beside them feel excluded or unsafe. At Katarniaghat, interventions combined enforcement with fencing, lighting, patrolling and community support. During the 2024 monsoon, ration was provided with WWF support to around 500 forest- and river-adjacent families, while efforts were also initiated around relocation and settlement concerns in sensitive areas.
At Surha Tal Bird Sanctuary in Ballia, conservation efforts have focused on management systems including bird-count registers, beat maps, visitor records, land-settlement follow-up and interpretation facilities. The wetland received national recognition on June 5, 2026, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared it India’s 100th Ramsar Site and Uttar Pradesh’s 13th. Yet recognition alone cannot secure a habitat’s future.
The larger lesson from these initiatives is that coexistence requires patience, institutions, local participation and sustained investment rather than one-time interventions. When conservation protects wildlife while also acknowledging the realities of people living alongside forests, rivers and wetlands, can such models help build a more durable relationship between communities and nature?
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