The Ganga Crusader

G D Agarwal's death after holding fast for 111 days for the cause of India's holy river should inspire us to fight in a Gandhian manner

- Rajendra Singh

KNOWN FOR his marathon 111-day fast to save the Ganga, G D Agarwal, who turned an ascetic in 2011 under the guidance of Swami Swaroopanand Sarwaswati, was a versatile man. He was a professor at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur till 1975 from where he resigned after working for 11 years. Early in his career, he went to the University of California, Berkeley, where he completed his Master’s degree and PhD. In 1980, Agarwal was instrumental in setting up the Central Pollution Control Board and became its first member secretary. He also played a pivotal role in the formulation of the Environment Protection Act, 1986 and the National Ganga River Basin Authority.