Bhubaneswar: Three forest personnel from Similipal of Mayurbhanj will be awarded by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government of India for their dedicated services as well as exemplary bravery shown while on duty, an official source said today.

The three personnel from Odisha are forester Mathi Hansda, guard Bimal Kumar Jena and STPF guard Himansu Sekhar Sethy. However, Hansda and Jena are to be honuored posthumously.

According to the source, the awards will be conferred on July 29 in a special function to be organised at Corbett Tiger Reserve of Uttarakhand on the occasion of International Tiger Day.

Hansda was gunned down by a group of poachers while he and his team members were carrying out patrolling in Similipal sanctuary on the intervening night of June 16. The on-duty forest staff was shot dead near Gamuchhajharan under Kundumundi-Barahakumuda Section in the district.

Similarly, forest guard Bimal Kumar Jena from Baunsakhala beat house of Mayurbhanj was killed when he was patrolling in a nearby jungle on May 22 evening along with four other personnel.

Himansu Sethy showed his bravery as he took Hansda to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment of his critically injured team member following the gun attack by poachers. Despite the best attempts made by Sethy during the golden hours, the life of Hansda could not be saved.