Eminent environmentalist and former Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) president Professor M.K. Prasad, 86, died on Monday. He was under treatment for Covid-19.
He was a well-known speaker on nature conservation and sustainable development and a nature lover. He was one of the pioneers of the environmental movement in Kerala.
He spearheaded 'Save Silent Valley' campaign aimed at the protection of Silent Valley, an evergreen sub-tropical forest in Kerala's Palakkad district.
He was Program Advisor at Swaminathan Research Foundation at Wayanad.
Prasad had served on the United Nations' Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Board for five years and has authored several books on the environment. He was of the opinion that traditional sources of energy should be relied upon for household needs.
Prasad was instrumental in the formation of the IRTC (Integrated Rural Technology Centre), an autonomous research and development institution founded by the KSSP. IRTC has been extensively involved in research activities to empower the marginalised communities across Kerala. It has also marked its footprints in the areas of women and child development with the collaboration of national and international agencies such as WHO, UNICEF and UNDP.
A professor in botany, he also served as the principal of Maharajas College, and pro vice chancellor of Calicut University.
