Noted ecologist M. K. Prasad, 89, passed away here on Monday. He was earlier infected with COVID-19.
Prof. Prasad, who had served as Pro-Vice Chancellor of Calicut University, was in the forefront of environment protection activities in the State.
He had played a crucial role in creating public awareness across the State for protecting the verdant forests of the Silent Valley during the early 70s. He had played a leadership role in the Save Silent Valley campaign, considered the first popular campaign for protecting a forest ecosystem in the State.
It was the green campaign led by Mr. Prasad and others highlighting the ecological significance of the evergreen forest of the area that eventually led to the scrapping of the hydel power project proposed by the Kerala State Electricity Board in the area. Later, the Silent Valley was notified as a national park.
KSSP president
Mr. Prasad, who hailed from Cherayi in Vypeen, had led the popular science movement Kerala Sastra Sahithya Parishad, which had undertaken campaigns for popularisation of science in everyday life, as its president. He had also played a key role in the development of the Integrated Rural Technology Centre in Palakkad.
He was also involved in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Board of the United Nations and was associated with the activities of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, the Kerala State Biodiversity Board. He had also served as executive chairman and director of the Information Kerala Mission.
He had also led the preparation of the People’s Biodiversity Registry in local bodies of Ernakulam district much before the Kerala State Biodiversity Board taking up the initiative.
The funeral was held at the Ravipuram crematorium at 11.35 a.m.
Prof. Prasad is survived by his wife Sherly, former Principal of the Ernakulam Maharaja’s College, and two children, Amal and Anjana.
