World Book Of Records Honours Indore’s Forest Drive

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The World Book of Records (WBR) has felicitated officials and frontline staff of the state’s Forest Department for their exceptional work in conserving rare, endangered and threatened (RET) species.

The initiative, pioneered in Indore under CCF P. N. Mishra and DFO Pradeep Mishra, has now expanded to Rewa, Satna, Gwalior, Ujjain, Dhar and Khandwa.

The movement began with nurseries developed at Badgonda and Navratan Bagh, where seedlings brought from Chhindwara and Pachmarhi were nurtured into thousands of saplings.

The message of focusing on RET and indigenous species soon spread across Madhya Pradesh, inspiring coordinated plantation drives that went beyond routine species to those on the brink of extinction.

Recognising this unique conservation model, WBR decided to honour the effort, noting its alignment with the UN’s 2024–25 charter on RET species conservation. At a special ceremony held at the Forest Office, Navratan Bagh, WBR conferred Certificates of Excellence and Medals to senior forest officers including Rajesh Kumar Rai (CCF, Rewa), P. N. Mishra (CCF, Indore) and DFOs from Panna, Satna, Ujjain and Dhar.

Certificates of Appreciation were also presented to deputy rangers, foresters, forest guards, environmentalists and Ayurveda experts from across the state. The event featured presentations on the Miyawaki forest technique and biodiversity integration, delivered by Dr. P. C. Dubey (Retd. PCCF).

Chief guests included Dr Rajeshlal Mehra (Chairman, MPPSC), Asha Mathur (Retd. IG, IPS), Pradeep Mishra (DFO, Indore) and Adv. Santosh Shukla (CEO, WBR). The programme was co-ordinated by Prof. Sanjay Vyas, Head of Microbiology, Holkar Science College, who is known for his constant encouragement and backing of innovative initiatives.