Environmentalist Sundarlal Bahuguna passed away due to COVID-19

Sundarlal Bahuguna was hugely credited for the success of the Chipko movement that began in 1973 at the foothills of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand

President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the demise of renowned environmentalist and Chipko movement leader Sundarlal Bahuguna, who succumbed to COVID-19 infection at All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Rishikesh on Friday.

The President called the death of Bahuguna as an end of a glorious chapter in the field of conservation. “The demise of Sunderlal Bahuguna marks the end of a glorious chapter in the field of conservation. A ‘Padma Vibhushan’ awardee, he was a Gandhian to the core. A legend in his own right, he made conservation a people’s movement. My condolences to his family and admirers,” the official account of Rashtrapati Bhavan tweeted.

Remembering Sundarlal Bahuguna, the Prime Minister said he manifested the ethos of living in harmony with nature.

“Passing away of Shri Sunderlal Bahuguna Ji is a monumental loss for our nation. He manifested our centuries-old ethos of living in harmony with nature. His simplicity and spirit of compassion will never be forgotten. My thoughts are with his family and many admirers. Om Shanti,” he said.

The 94-year-old, Padma Vibhushan, and Padma Shri awardee was admitted to the hospital after his oxygen levels started fluctuating on May 8.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat also mourned the demise of the environmental activist and prayed for peace of the departed soul.

The environmentalist had fought for the preservation of forests in the Himalayas for years.

He was hugely credited for the success of the Chipko movement that began in 1973 at the foothills of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand (then a part of Uttar Pradesh).

The environment activist was also actively involved in the Anti-Tehri Dam movement.