Noted Environmentalist Sunderlal Bahuguna Dies of COVID
Noted environmentalist Sunderlal Bahuguna died of Covid-19 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh on Friday. Bhuguna breathed his last at 12.05 pm, AIIMS Director Ravikant said.
Sunderlal Bahuguna is survived by his wife Vimla, two sons and a daughter.
The 94-year-old environmentalist known for his pioneering role in the Chipko movement was under treatment for Covid-19 at the hospital for over a week, a PTI report said.
Admitted to the hospital on May 8 after testing positive for the infection, Bahuguna had been critical since last night with his oxygen level dropping drastically, the report said.
He was on CPAP therapy in the ICU of the premier hospital.
Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat condoled his death describing it as a big loss not just for Uttarakhand and India but for the entire world.
"It was he who made the Chipko movement a movement of the masses," Rawat said.
The void created by his passing away in the field of environment conservation can never be filled, the chief minister said.
He prayed for peace to the departed soul and strength to the bereaved family to bear the loss.
Born on January 9 in Tehri district, Bahuguna is considered the pioneer of the Chipko movement of the 1970s which he had launched along with dedicated environment conservationists like Gaura Devi to save forests.
Conferred with the Padmavibhushan and many other honours for his pioneering work in the field of environment protection, Bahuguna also led the protests against the construction of the Tehri dam.
He undertook several 'padyatras' to create awareness among people about conserving the Himalayan ecology and environment.
He was a big critic of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
Expressing his condolence at Bahuguna's death, another noted environmentalist Chandi Prasad Bhatt described him as a "brilliant social worker".
"His demise is painful for all of us," Bhatt said.
