G. D. Agrawal

He was the Patron of Ganga Mahasabha, founded by Madan Mohan Malviya in 1905.

He is notable for several fasts undertaken to stop many projects on the River Ganga.

He stopped taking water on 21 September as his fast entered its 101st day.

Due to government's Apathy towards Agrawal's fast, three members of the national Ganga River Basin Authority, Rajendra Singh, Ravi Chopra and Rashid Siddiqui resigned.

Guru das Agrawal, also known as Sant Swami Sanand and Sant Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand (20 July, 1932 – 11 October, 2018), was an Indian environmentalist, engineer, religious leader, monk, and professor.

Born to a farming family in Kandhla, Muzaffarnagar district, Uttar Pradesh, in 1932, he studied in local primary and secondary schools.

He graduated in civil engineering from the University of Roorkee (now IIT Roorkee).

Work on the Loharinag Pala Hydro Power Project was stopped when Agrawal came close to dying on the 38th day of his fast in protest of the harnessing of the river Bhagirathi.

While he was the member secretary of the Central Pollution Control Board during 1979 – 1980, he was also a visiting professor for environmental engineering at the University of Roorkee.

His fast in 2009 led to the damming of the Bhagirathi River being stopped.

Agrawal started a fast on 13 June 2009 at Uttarkashi.

His demand was minimal and specific, i.e. to allow the flow of the Ganges in its original channel in this 125 km stretch from its origin.

This is the only stretch left where the Ganges can still be seen undisturbed by man.

The free-running of the river is a crucial element of its sacred status.

Before his fast began in January, Agrawal said, "The water ...(of the Ganges) is not ordinary water to a Hindu. It is a matter of life and death of Hindu faith".

An allegation by Uttarakhand Minister

Diwakar Bhatt, in a press conference, alleged that "It may be that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the US or Pakistan's Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) are behind these so-called anti-hydro projects in Uttarakhand, as by doing so they are hampering the development of the state and ultimately of India. So, they are traitors and should be opposed by people too."

In a letter dated 19 February 2009 to Agrawal, the Ministry of Power stated that it had ordered the immediate suspension of work on the Loharinag-Pala Hydropower Project on the Bhagirathi River.

In response, Agrawal ended his fast the following day at 11:00 am.

The Indian government agreed to speed up its inquiry into how electricity could be generated without the flow of the Ganges being impeded.

Agrawal's devotion to the River Ganges comes from his strong Hindu faith and conviction that India is staring at an unprecedented ecological and cultural catastrophe.

On 9 October (the 109th day of the fast), he stopped drinking water and refused to take medicine, water or any fluid/juice orally.

However, he gave written consent to doctors for administering potassium orally and drip to provide 500ML saline fluid per day to maintain the minimum fluid and electrolyte needs of the body.

In July 2011, he became a Hindu sannyasi and Swami Gyanswaroop Sanand.

Despite numerous protests and representations by local citizens, 6 hydroelectric power-plant dams were planned, seeking clearance or already under construction, on a 125 km stretch of the Bhagirathi River's 2525 km length.

This run is from the river's source at the Gangotri Glacier to the remote town of Uttarkashi in the Himalayan foothills.

In pursuit of its energy intensive plan for economic growth, the Indian government had hastily pushed hydroelectric generating projects on the river, destroying what many describe as the traditional Indian ethos of worshipping and living in harmony with nature.

On 11 October (the 111th day of the fast), he died from starvation, aged 86.

In mid-June 2013, Agrawal began his fast in the wake of the inactivity of National Ganga River Basin Authority.

On 13 August (53rd day of the fast), Agrawal was admitted to AIIMS again.

Agrawal died on 11 October 2018, after fasting since 22 June 2018, demanding the government act on its promises to clean and save the Ganga.

In February 2018, Agrawal sent an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to stop environmentally unfriendly projects and ensure what he calls the 'aviral' flow of the river in the upper stretches of the river Ganga.

He reminded the prime minister that "It will be four years in May when the Central government will complete four years in office, but nothing has been done so far for the cause of Ganga".

Agrawal had mentioned in the letter that if no action is taken by Ganga Dussehra (22 June 2018), he will go on fast-unto-death.

He wrote another letter to PM on 13 June.

After receiving no response from the government, he began his fast on 22 June at Haridwar.

On the 19th day of his fast, police evicted him from his fast venue to AIIMS Rishikesh.

Based on a petition filed by Agrawal against forced eviction, Uttarakhand high-court stepped in and said he needs to be taken to hospital only if his health is in danger.

The government responded to Agrawal's fast via Nitin Gadkari (Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation), but it failed to resolve the impasse.

Agrawal alleged that government is focusing on the cleaning river Ganga whereas his holistic vision ensures 'aviral-nirmal' Ganga.