By- S P RaviSahyadri has lost one of its most cherished warriors. For more than six decades, Madhav Gadgil championed the conservation of the Western Ghats through research, interactions with local communities, writings, and speeches. A man with unshakeable faith in science and people, Gadgil sir firmly believed that the best defenders of ecosystems are the people who live closest to them.In 2010, when the then minister for environment and forests, Jairam Ramesh, decided to constitute an expert committee to provide recommendations for the conservation of the Western Ghats—following a representation from the Save Western Ghats Movement—Gadgil sir was the natural choice to head it. The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) submitted its report in Aug 2011 after extensive scientific studies, multiple field visits, and wide-ranging stakeholder consultations. What followed—the fierce opposition led by mining lobby in Goa and vested groups in Kerala, a change in the environment ministry’s leadership, the constitution of a new committee under Dr Kasturirangan, and the sidelining of the ‘Gadgil Committee Report’ is now well-known history.Apart from studying the Ghats as a whole, the panel was also mandated to examine four specific projects. One among them was the proposed Athirappilly hydroelectric project across the Chalakudy river basin. On Jan 29, 2011, the panel members, led by Gadgil sir, visited the project site and held a series of consultations. My colleague, the late Dr A Latha, was already assisting the panel with crucial inputs on the water sector, and the Athirappilly visit marked my first close interaction with Gadgil sir—a relationship that continued thereafter.The visit was meticulously planned and structured into four segments: A field inspection, interactions with people’s representatives, a public consultation, and a technical session. All stakeholders were informed well in advance and formally invited. The transparency and inclusiveness of the process bore the unmistakable stamp of Gadgil sir’s leadership. (In stark contrast, the Kasturirangan Committee would later visit the project site discreetly, accompanied only by the project proponent.) Gadgil sir’s engagement with the tribal communities during the field visit was particularly revealing of his values. Apart from eliciting their views on the proposed project he also advised them on securing their rights under the forest rights act— recommendations that found place in the WGEEP report.The WGEEP report itself would not have been published if not for the RTI efforts of our friend G Krishnan. Contrary to widespread misrepresentation, the report merely called for the implementation of existing conservation laws and offered a framework for people to live in harmony with the fragile ecology of the Western Ghats. Gadgil sir’s faith in grassroots democracy was deeply embedded in the report. Had its sector-wise recommendations—clearly outlining permissible and impermissible activities in different ecologically sensitive zones—been translated into vernacular languages and discussed in gram sabhas, as demanded by Gadgil sir and other panel members, the outcome might have been very different.The recurring monsoon disasters in Kerala since the 2018 floods deeply pained Gadgil sir, even as they tragically vindicated his warnings. Our interactions increased during this period. When he visited Kerala after the floods, he specifically sought to understand whether prior warnings had been issued to the authorities. He actively encouraged people-led flood monitoring initiatives in our river basin, as well as in the Meenachil basin and Wayanad, frequently seeking updates. Differences of opinion—such as on aspects of human–animal conflict—never diminished his warmth, respect, or affection for us.Fourteen long years have passed since the WGEEP report was submitted. As the climate crisis intensifies, states like Kerala and Goa cannot meaningfully address its impacts without sincere and large-scale ecological restoration of the Sahyadri. Even today, the most comprehensive and humane guide for this remains the Gadgil committee report. Embracing it, at last, would be the most fitting tribute to Gadgil sir.(The writer is convenor of the Chalakudy River Protection Forum)