Noted environmentalist T Shobheendran (76), popularly called Shobheendran Maash, is no more. He died of cardiac arrest at a private hospital in the city on Thursday.
He retired as the head of the Department of Economics at Zamorin's Guruvayurappan College before devoting his life to the preservation of nature.
Shobheendran was a familiar face in north Kerala, especially Kozhikode; his green shirt, trousers and cap, long beard and green-coloured bike were unmistakable.
He founded an NGO Green Clean Earth and was at the forefront of environmental activism in Kozhikode. Shobheendran or his disciples planted several roadside shade trees in the city.
He organised and conducted rain walks to Thamarassery ghats which introduced hundreds of people to nature conservation. Under his leadership, ponds and dams were constructed inside the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary to provide drinking water to wild animals.
He has received the Vanamitra Award instituted by the Kerala Government and the Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra Award of the Central government. He was a member of the State Wildlife Board and the management advisory committee of the National Forestry and Eco-Development Board.
He is the architect of Green World of Vengeri in Kozhikode. He has acted in the movies Amma Ariyan, Shutter, Arakkirukkan and John.
He is survived by his wife Prof M C Padmaja, children Bodhi Krishna (Asst. Prof. Farook College) and Dhyan Dev (ICICI), son-in-law Deepesh Karimpumkara (Asst. Prof. SN College, Chelannoor) and daughter-in-law Rinku Priya.
