Professional Experience:
I began my career in wildlife at the National Chambal Sanctuary as a volunteer for research with the Society for Conservation of Nature in 2005. I also volunteered as a Field Biologist at the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust/TSA (Turtle Survival Alliance) from 2006 to 2007. In 2008, I joined WWF India as a Project Officer in the Gharial Conservation & Research Project. My research interests focus on studying the conservation ecology of freshwater aquatic reptilian species and their habitats in India. Furthermore, I was promoted to Senior Project Officer and Senior Coordinator.
From May 2017 to April 2025, I worked as the Lead – Aquatic Biodiversity (Ganga Programme) at WWF India (www.wwfindia.org), based in Hastinapur, Meerut. I was actively involved in designing, planning, and field-implementing various long- and short-term projects to conserve key aquatic species such as the Gharial, freshwater turtles, and dolphins. I led significant projects, including the critically endangered Gharial reintroduction programme in the Ganga and Beas rivers and planned for reintroduction in the Brahmaputra River system to help bring them back from the brink of extinction. I also designed a community-led freshwater turtle conservation project for the Ganga and Ramganga rivers. In this project, we engage local riparian communities, panchayats, district administration, and DGCs to restore habitats and conserve endangered and critically endangered freshwater turtles. In my current role, I supervise a field team that liaises with panchayats and government departments, ensuring the smooth implementation of project activities along the Ganga, Ramganga, Yamuna, Sindh, and Chambal Rivers in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.