Madhav Gadgil

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MADHAV GADGIL NEWS

Madhav Gadgil, the people’s ecologist

January 09, 2026 7:08 am

He was a rare scholar whose work is seen as synonymous with the discipline.

After Gadgil led extensive consultations on the ground with communities and public representatives, the panel designated the entire 1,29,037 sq km extent of Western Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA).

Recalling Madhav Gadgil’s seminal Western Ghats report, and opposition to it

January 09, 2026 1:48 pm

Despite the report’s fate, Gadgil continued to champion the cause of protecting the fragile mountains from mindless development. The recommendations are brought up to this date, whenever ecological disasters occur in the Western Ghats.

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Madhav Gadgil’s environmentalism put community at the centre

January 09, 2026 7:06 am

Gadgil launched new work on issues as varied as sacred groves in Maharashtra and Karnataka, the dry deciduous forests in Karnataka and Kerala, and the sustainable harvest of bamboo by basket weavers. This work was fundamental in the creation of the Nilgiri Biosphere in 1986 and in launching India’s first wild elephant census

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Madhav Gadgil • (1942-2026): Scientist, ‘people’s ecologist’, voice of Western Ghats, forests, rivers, communities

January 09, 2026 8:15 am

A pioneer in ecological sciences, Madhav Gadgil, 83, died late Wednesday night in Pune after a brief illness. He was one of India’s foremost voices on ecology and environment protection.

Padma Bhushan ecologist Madhav Gadgil cremated with state honours

January 08, 2026 8:08 pm

As a Padma Bhushan recipient, the funeral included a ceremonial salute, with the national flag draped over the body, honouring his lifelong service to the nation.

Madhav Gadgil, the scientist who gave India an ecological conscience

January 08, 2026 6:10 pm

In an era of accelerating ecological crisis — of climate change, biodiversity loss, and deepening social inequities — we need more Gadgils: Thinkers with intellectual courage, moral clarity, and the willingness to engage with diverse views

His controversial yet prophetic report became a rallying point for environmentalists against projects like the Athirappally hydel plant.

For Kerala, Madhav Gadgil’s voice was ‘nature’s conscience’, echoing through a decade of natural disasters

January 08, 2026 1:46 pm

The Gadgil Committee report in 2011 recommended a slew of measures for protecting the fragile balance of the Western Ghats.

Environmentalist Madhav Gadgil with his granddaughters

'He would do anything for my daughters… stand on his head', daughter remembers Madhav Gadgil

January 09, 2026 8:15 am

One of Gauri’s daughters, Tara Shah, is a professional badminton player. The lanky Gadgil was himself an athlete and a sportsperson in his youth.

Scientist, author, and foremost voice of ecological conscience: Madhav Gadgil proposed a roadmap for Western Ghats conservation

January 08, 2026 12:34 pm

Madhav Gadgil, who passed away in Pune at the age of 83, was, at heart, a field ecologist who vouched for participatory forest and ecological protection. His 2011 report on the Western Ghats sparked a national debate on development versus conservation.

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Role of locals essential in protecting environment: Ecologist Madhav Gadgil

December 21, 2024 3:09 am

He said that Gram Sabhas and locals should be part of the decision-making process regarding carrying out activities such as rock quarrying in ecologically sensitive areas in Western Ghats.

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Remembering Madhav Gadgil: All you need to know about veteran ecologist

January 08, 2026 4:34 pm

Madhav Gadgil, a veteran ecologist who was instrumental in drafting the Forest Rights Act and founding the centre of Ecological Sciences at IISc Bengaluru, passes away at 83.