Chronicling milestones in the wild: The story of a Telangana forester with a steely resolve
Often referred to as an official with integrity and a walking encyclopedia on Forest Law, 93-year-old K Buchiram Reddy pens the challenges and occupational hazards of being a forester since the early 1950s
Hyderabad: For someone who has undertaken the arduous task of chronicling some of the milestones, challenges and the occupational hazards of being a forester since the early ’50s, K Buchiram Reddy, retired IFS officer, proves that age is just a number when it comes to this documentation, starting with his first one — ‘Forest Martyrs’ — published in 2012.
The 93-year-old Reddy, a graduate in Science and Law, and a member of the Indian Forest Service, has penned down the challenges and occupational hazards of being a forester since the early 1950s. He was often referred to as an official with integrity and a walking encyclopedia on Forest Law.
Only a few months ago, when his ‘Compilation of Legal Notes for Forest Officers’ was released by PK Jha, president, Association of Retired Forest Officers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, it was a recognition and acknowledgement of his contribution in the field.
And, Reddy’s latest publication, ‘Memorable Musings of a Nonagenarian Forester’, released a couple of days ago, is essentially a compilation of his articles over the years and a generous donation to the Telangana State Forest Academy, Dulapally, Hyderabad.
For the record, Reddy is a founding editor of ‘Vana Premi’, a retired foresters’ magazine, which was his brainchild founded in 1994, thanks to the help from selfless officials such as late Narayanaswamy, JV Sharma and late Lohit Reddy.
Reddy’s autobiography, ‘Journey of My Life in The Wilderness’ (2013) and ‘Oka Vana Premi Jeevana Yanam’ in Telugu during the pandemic (2019) were also widely appreciated by family, friends and fellow foresters.
Continuing his steely determination, Reddy came up with ‘Smaraka Vartha Vahini’ in Telugu four years later, on the ghastly murder of FRO Ch Srinivas Rao who was trying to prevent forest encroachment. “I am grateful to Messrs Nagabhushanam and Thirupathaiah, both of whom were my collaborators and esteemed colleagues from the Indian Forest Service,” Reddy insists.
“Those were the days when forestry discipline and fear of prosecution were there. Now, it is not the same for different reasons,” he says. “Definitely, the huge plus is now technological advances such as drone surveillance for tracking criminals as well as endangered wildlife, compared to the old days when a lone forester as a foot-soldier covered long distances, in off-road territories in life-threatening and inhospitable conditions,” Reddy points out.
“But the fact that there is loss of lives of foresters in the line of duty is a sad reflection that such atrocities still remain unchallenged,” he concludes.
