NEW DELHI, May 21: Environmental activist Sundarlal Bahuguna, a pioneer of the Chipko Movement against deforestation in the 1970s, died of Covid in Uttarakhand this afternoon. He was 94 years old.
His death was declared by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh where he was admitted for Covid treatment. Mr Bahuguna died at 12.05 pm AIIMS Rishikesh Director Ravikant said.
One of India’s best-known environmentalists, was admitted to the hospital on May 8 after testing positive for Covid. His condition turned critical last night, with his oxygen level dropping drastically. He was on CPAP therapy in the hospital’s ICU.
Condoling his death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the late environmentalist manifested “our centuries old ethos of living in harmony with nature.”
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat expressed sadness saying it was Mr Bahuguna who turned the Chipko movement into one of the masses.
A long-time follower of Gandhian principles, Mr Bahuguna transformed the spontaneous Chipko Movement into a turning point in India’s forest conservation efforts.
