ifs varun jain

When a story by The Better India met the right reader, it opened a door inside a remote tiger reserve in Chhattisgarh. One call linked DFO Varun Jain with Earth Brigade Foundation, and together they began moving water, light and hope across a landscape that needed all three.

By combining AI-driven alerts with real-time human patrolling, IFS officer Varun Jain has helped reduce human-elephant conflicts in Chhattisgarh, saving lives and fostering coexistence.

Being a Naxal-affected region led to several gaps in monitoring the Udanti-Sitanadi tiger reserve in Chhattisgarh, leading to the loss of almost 30,000 trees. Facing extreme opposition, IFS officer Varun Jain shares how his team reclaimed the forest land and turned the situation around.