Chipko Movement Leader Sunderlal Bahuguna dies of COVID-19

Eminent environmentalist & Chipko Movement leader Sunderlal Bahuguna passed away while undergoing treatment for Covid-19 at Rishikesh’s All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) on Friday. He was 94. A recipient of India’s 2nd-highest civilian award, Padma Vibhushan, Bahuguna was hospitalised on May 8 & was on ventilator support.

“Bahuguna passed away at around 12noon. He was on ventilator support as he was severely infected...,” said AIIMS (Rishikesh) public relations officer Harish Mohan Thapliyal. Thapliyal said Bahuguna was also suffering from high blood sugar & hypertension.

V Nautiyal, who also handles media relations at the premier health institute, said Bahuguna also had two stents in his heart & was bedridden for last around seven months at his residence in Dehradun.

He said that “Due to Covid-19, he had also developed pneumonia which worsened his health condition along with high blood sugar & hypertension. However, a special team of doctors was assigned to look after him at the hospital while providing every possible treatment to him".

Uttarakhand CM Tirath Singh Rawat called Bahuguna’s death an “irreplaceable loss not to the country but the whole world.”

Rawat said that “It is a grave loss for all of us. He had contributed immensely to the environment. Our prayers are with his family members so that they can bear this loss".

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