In a first, forest staff from 6 states to get Israeli Krav Maga training to tackle forest crimes

Dehradun: In a first for India’s frontline forest personnel, Uttarakhand Forestry Training Academy (UFTA) in Haldwani will introduce Krav Maga, an Israeli self-defence technique, into its training curriculum from Nov to help staff tackle attacks by timber and sand mafias, poachers and forest encroachers. Around 170 foresters and forest rangers from six states and Jammu & Kashmir will undergo training in the unarmed combat system, which focuses on responding to real-life threats, including assaults involving weapons and multiple attackers. The academy introduced the initiative after an internal assessment found that around 60 frontline forest personnel had lost their lives in the line of duty in Uttarakhand.UFTA director Sanjiv Chaturvedi said the two-month programme would cover around 130 foresters from Uttarakhand and Punjab, currently undergoing training at the academy, and 40 forest rangers from Jammu & Kashmir, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Madhya Pradesh. “The training will commence for two months starting November,” he said. Certified Krav Maga instructors, who have previously trained police and customs personnel at National Police Academy in Hyderabad and in Mumbai, will conduct the sessions. Officials said only five to six certified instructors of the technique were currently available in India.The academy, which has trained frontline forest personnel since 1979, decided to introduce Krav Maga after examining fatalities involving staff confronting timber and sand mafias, encroachers and other offenders. Its assessment documented particularly violent incidents, including one in which a forest official was burnt alive and another in which an official’s body parts were severed. Officials said such attacks highlighted the need to equip field personnel with practical defensive skills alongside conventional enforcement training. The technique had previously been taught to police and customs personnel and probationary IAS officers.The first phase, beginning in Nov, will involve two weeks of intensive practice in defending against single and multiple attackers, including those carrying sticks, axes, knives, sharp-edged weapons and firearms. The second phase, scheduled for Dec, will focus on defensive manoeuvres in dense forests, on uneven ground and in poor visibility. Trainees will also practise techniques to escape when surrounded and to disarm assailants while minimising the risk of injury.Academy officials said the programme aimed to reduce casualties during enforcement operations and improve personnel’s ability to respond swiftly to threats from organised forest crime. UFTA will meet the initial expenditure from funds allocated for training at state forest training academies.Stay updated with the latest Dehradun news. Download the TOI App.