Rishikesh: The man who single-handedly fought for ‘Ganga-Act‘ to preserve the uninterrupted flow of the Ganges, Swami Gyanswaroop Sanand, passed away in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, this evening. Environmentalist G.D. Aggarwal aka Swami Gyanswaroop Sanand, had been on an indefinite fast for the last 109 days.
According to the team of doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh tending to Swami Sanand, where he had been brought last evening said that the noted environmentalist died due to a heart attack. PRO AIIMS, Harish Thapliyal confirmed the same.
From 22nd June, 2018, the 87-year-old Swami Sanand had been surviving solely on lemon water, salt and honey. On 9th of October the octogenarian had stopped drinking even water. Post which, the Haridwar district administration cordoned off the Matrisadan Ashram where he was on fast and along with a team of medics from AIIMS moved him to the hospital.
He opposed all kinds of hydro-projects being built or proposed to be built on the river, which would pollute or come in the way of the uninterrupted flow of the Ganges. He demanded that the Ganga Act formulated in 2012 be turned into law.
Earlier, he worked was a Professor of Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, and served as a Member-Secretary of the Central Pollution Control Board.
The octogenarian environmentalist had earlier expressed the desire that his body be donated to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh for research purposes. The Dean of AIIMS, Dr. Vijendra Singh said: “When Swami ji was well he had sent a certified letter to us stating that he wished to donate his body to AIIMS, and we will be fulfilling his last wish.“
Chief Minister of the State, Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat, expressed grief on the passing away of Swami Sanand aka Prof. G.D Aggarwal.
