From heading the Western Ghats panel to helping set up world-class centers in IISc, Madhav Gadgil had a long association with Karnataka

Noted ecologist Madhav Gadgil, who passed away in Pune on January 7 after a brief illness, had a long association with Karnataka and Bengaluru.

Mr Gadgil headed the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel, also known as the Gadgil Committee, which submitted its report to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests in 2011. The committee had made several recommendations in its report to protect the vulnerable Western Ghats. The report recommended that a majority of the Western Ghats passing through several states be declared as eco-sensitive areas. It had also called for the establishment of a Western Ghats Authority.

Guidelines for India

Karnataka Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre expressed his condolences and said he was deeply saddened to hear the news of Mr Gadgil’s demise.

“Mr. Gadgil, who dedicated his entire life to protecting the environment and the survival and conservation of one of the world’s most beautiful places for biodiversity, left us at the age of 83. May his soul rest in peace, and may God give his family and friends the strength to bear the pain of separation,” the minister said.

Mr Khandre said many points in Mr Gadgil’s report are guidelines for India to protect its natural environment.

“He always expressed concern over the gradual destruction of the hilly areas of the Western Ghats, which are the source of many rivers, besides being an oxygen reservoir and also helping in blocking the monsoon winds, and in turn bringing rains across the country,” Mr. Khandre said.

Establishment of CES

Mr. Gadgil was closely associated with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc.) in Bengaluru. He helped establish the Center for Ecological Sciences (CES) in 1983

“CES grew out of ecological research initiated at the Center for Theoretical Studies by Madhav Gadgil, who joined the then Center for Theoretical Studies (CTS) in 1973 after receiving a doctorate in biology from Harvard University with a thesis in mathematical ecology. Madhav continued research in both theoretical biology and field ecology,” CES said on its website.

CES further said that in 1974, Mr. Gadgil initiated field studies in the newly established Bandipur Tiger Reserve on the dry deciduous forest ecosystem dotted with artificial ponds and vast open areas covered with grass.

“Madhav Gadgil undertook an ecological exploration of this entire area and formulated a proposal for the establishment of a major wildlife sanctuary in this region. This eventually led to the establishment of the country’s first biosphere reserve, the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, in 1986. Elephants were a striking part of nature in this area, and Madhav Gadgil organized the country’s first wild elephant census in these areas,” says CES.

It also states that in 1974, when agitation arose among the basket weavers of Karnataka, who alleged that their livelihood was threatened by overuse and depletion of bamboo resources by paper mills, the Karnataka State Science and Technology Council asked Mr. Gadgil to conduct a study on the ecology and management of the state’s bamboo resources.