Madhav Ganesh Gogate, the former principal chief conservator of forests (Wildlife) of Maharashtra, who headed the sanctuaries and national parks in the state, passed away due to Covid-19 on Friday. He was 77. In a tenure that ended in retirement in 2003, Gogate also served as the director of social forestry in Pune. Later, he was again appointed as principal chief conservator of forests (Wildlife). He was one of the most recognised forest officers from Maharashtra. Gogate took on the job of developing tourism in Melghat Tiger Reserve by establishing the necessary infrastructure. His efforts were fruitful in drawing tourists to Melghat. For his contributions, Gogate was honoured by the Government of India with the Meritorious Service for Tiger Conservation award. He had also served as the president of the retired forest officers’ association. He is survived by wife Madhuri, son Parikshit and daughter Radhika. During his career, he had published more than 300 scientific and popular articles, on forest management and research, in scientific journals, newspapers and magazines. In 2019, he received the Vasantrao Naik award from the state government for his contributions in agriculture, social forestry and biodiversity conservation sectors.
