Community Conservation Leadership Award for Arulagam Secretary Bharathidasan S from TN Govt
Arulagam Secretary Bharathidasan S receives Community Conservation Leadership Award from the Tamil Nadu Government
The Government of Tamil Nadu - Department of Forest, Environment and Climate Change, honored 100 individuals with the ‘Community Conservation Leadership Award’ for their exceptional contributions to nature and wildlife conservation, renewable energy, waste management, and pollution control. The award ceremony was held on February 28, 2026, at Sethumadai, within the Anamalai Tiger Reserve.
The Honorable Minister for Forests and Khadi, Mr. R.S. Rajakannappan presided over the function and presented the awards.
Mr. Rakesh Kumar Dogra (IFS), Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden, stated that I was selected for this award in recognition of the vulture conservation efforts led by the organization ‘Arulagam.’ I consider this a collective recognition of the hard work and dedication of my team members—Ms. R. Sundari, Ms. Revathi, Mr. Paraman, and Mr. Santhosh Krishnan. This award serves as a significant motivation for us to continue our conservation journey.
Dignitaries in attendance: The event was graced by Mrs. Supriya Sahu (IAS), Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Climate Change and Forest Department. Other distinguished attendees included Mr. Srinivas R. Reddy (IFS), PCCF & Head of Forest Force; Mr. Rakesh Kumar Dogra (IFS), PCCF & Chief Wildlife Warden; Mr. Anurag Mishra (IFS), Special Secretary, Environment and Climate Change; Mr. D. Venkatesh (IFS) (Field Director, ATR); Mr. Devendra Kumar Meena (Deputy Director, ATR); Mr. Jayaraj (IFS) (Forest Officer, Hosur); Mr. Venkatesh Prabhu (IFS) (Forest Officer, Coimbatore); Mr. Vismiju Viswanathan (IFS) (Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Eco-Tourism Board), and other senior officials.
A Personal Dedication: My father, who encouraged every step of my journey, would have been incredibly proud to share this achievement with everyone had he been with us today. I dedicate this award to him.
Fellow Conservationists: I am also pleased that several of my peers were recognized for their tireless service, including ‘Maram’ Mr. Yoganathan, Mr. Kalidasan (Osai, Coimbatore), Mr. Syed (Green Care), Mr. Sirajudeen (WNCT), Mr. Pavendhan (Ornithologist & Butterfly Researcher), Mr. K. Srinivasan (Nature Conservation Organization), Dr. A. Samson (Vulture Researcher), Joseph Reginald (CUBE), Mr. K. Sakthivel (Sathyamangalam Environment & Wildlife Association), Mr. Bravin (Hedgehog Conservationist), and Kuyili (Bird Conservationist) and Mr. Ganeswar and Ms. Angeline Mano of Salem Ornithological Society.
Such awards act as a powerful catalyst to protect our planet for future generations. We hope this initiative continues to expand annually, reaching many more committed individuals. We sincerely commend the Tamil Nadu Forest Department for this commendable effort.
Let us succeed together in protecting nature.