Renowned ecologist Madhav Gadgil passed away after a brief illness in Pune on Wednesday night. He was 84.
"I am very sorry to share the sad news that my father, Madhav Gadgil, passed away late last night in Pune after a brief illness," his son, Siddhartha Gadgil, said in a statement.
Known for his extensive work on the Western Ghats, Gadgil was the founder of the Centre for Ecological Sciences. He also served as a member of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India.
He was the chairman of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), which was formed to examine the ecological issues related to the Western Ghats. The committee's report, known as the Gadgil Report, warned against the construction of infrastructure and developmental projects in the region.
Gadgil also conducted extensive research in the areas of population biology, conservation biology, human ecology, and ecological history.
