Chipko movement leader Sundarlal Bahuguna dies of Covid-19; PM Modi, Uttarakhand CM tweet

Renowned environmentalist and Chipko movement leader Sundarlal Bahuguna on Friday succumbed to Covid-19 infection at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Rishikesh.

"Chipko movement leader Sundarlal Bahuguna died of COVID-19 at AIIMS, Rishikesh today," the AIIMS Rishikesh informed.

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The 94-year-old was admitted to the hospital after his oxygen levels started fluctuating on May 8, according to a report by ANI.

He was also a Padma Vibhushan and Padma Shri awardee. The environmentalist will be cremated at the Ganges in Rishikesh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took his Twitter account to express his grief. "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 tweeted.

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.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 21, 2021

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

"Received the most painful news of the demise of Sundarlal Bahuguna, the pioneer of the Chipko movement, Padma Vibhushan, a great environmentalist famously known as Vrikshamitra in the world. My mind is very distressed after hearing this news. This is an irreparable loss not only to Uttarakhand but to the entire country," tweeted the Chief Minister.

चिपको आंदोलन के प्रणेता, विश्व में वृक्षमित्र के नाम से प्रसिद्ध महान पर्यावरणविद् पद्म विभूषण श्री सुंदरलाल बहुगुणा जी के निधन का अत्यंत पीड़ादायक समाचार मिला। यह खबर सुनकर मन बेहद व्यथित हैं। यह सिर्फ उत्तराखंड के लिए नहीं बल्कि संपूर्ण देश के लिए अपूरणीय क्षति है। pic.twitter.com/j85HWCs80k

— Tirath Singh Rawat (@TIRATHSRAWAT) May 21, 2021

The Chipko movement or Chipko Andolan, was a forest conservation movement which began in 1973 in Uttarakhand. It was Sunderlal Bahuguna who gave the movement a proper direction and inspired many similar eco-groups by helping to slow down the rapid deforestation and the need to save trees.