Guwahati, Aug 8 : Dressed in the trademark khaki uniform of frontline staff, she patrols in an Assam jungle with her other colleagues, ready to fight any threat, for facing the challenges of protecting forest, conservation of animals.
About one year back, Saya Rani Das, a 28-year-old girl, decided to join Assam’s Department of Environment and Forests to serve as its frontline staff; her passion being the wildlife.
Completing post graduation in English, Saya joined as a forester in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary as the part of Assam Forest Departments decision to recruit 30 percent women as frontline staff. 
”I instantly decided to grab this opportunity,” Saya said.
Saya further said, ”There are many challenges for us, but we are ready to fight any threat for protecting the forest and animals.”
”I am determined to prove myself as a good frontline staff,” she said.
At present 21 women foresters and 35 women forest guards are working in different wildlife divisions across the state.
There are nine women frontline staff in Pobitora, which is the habitat of over 90 endangered one-horned rhinos.
”It is for the first time in Assam that, women are being recruited as frontline staff,” Assam Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain said.
”Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and the state Forest Department had decided to provide 30 percent women being recruited as frontline staff,” Hussain added.
Hussain further said,”We have arranged experts from National Security Guard, Assam Police, Assam Forest Protection Force to provide the women recruits modern training in physical fitness, arms, martial arts etc.”
The women frontline staff are also being trained in latest GPS technology.
Apart from Saya Rani Das, there are Bibha Sonowal (25), Anita Das (26), Namita Das (29), Swarnalata B Baruah (26), who work in Kaziranga National Park (KNP), and said they are ‘happy’ with their job.
"We are proud to be members of the first batch of women foresters and forest guards recruited by the state forest department," the women in khaki.
(Reporting and photos by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
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