Late Dr. Guru Das Agrawal

Dr. Guru Das Agrawal, also known as Sant Swami Sanand and Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand, was an eminent environmental engineer, academic, public servant and environmental activist whose life was dedicated to the protection of India's rivers and natural environment. He served as a Professor and Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at IIT Kanpur and was among India's pioneering voices in environmental engineering and river conservation. Born in 1932 in Kandhla, Uttar Pradesh, Dr. Agrawal graduated in Civil Engineering from the University of Roorkee, now IIT Roorkee. He subsequently earned his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. His early professional career included work as a design engineer in the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department before he joined IIT Kanpur. Dr. Agrawal's academic career at IIT Kanpur extended for nearly 17 years as Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. His work and teaching contributed to the development of environmental engineering in India, while his broader professional engagement connected engineering research with issues of pollution control, water quality and environmental protection. His expertise also led him into public service. He became the first Member-Secretary of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) during 1979-1980, helping shape India's institutional framework for pollution control. He subsequently remained engaged with environmental policy, research and education, including a visiting professor at the University of Roorkee and as an honorary professor of environmental sciences at Mahatma Gandhi Chitrakoot Gramodaya Vishwavidyalaya. Dr. Agrawal became particularly renowned for his lifelong campaign to protect the River Ganga. From 2008 onwards, he undertook repeated fasts demanding that the river remain free-flowing and that environmentally damaging hydroelectric projects on its tributaries be stopped. His 2009 fast against the Loharinag Pala Hydro Power Project continued for 36 days and contributed to the government's decision to suspend the project. In 2011, he renounced worldly life and became a sanyasi, taking the name Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand. He continued to campaign for the protection and rejuvenation of the Ganga, writing repeatedly to governments and policymakers and undertaking further fasts when he believed commitments to protect the river were not being honoured. He was also associated with the Ganga Mahasabha and served as its Patron. His final fast began on 22 June 2018, with demands including stronger action to protect the Ganga and restrictions on projects affecting its natural flow. After 111 days of fasting, Dr. Agrawal died on 11 October 2018 at AIIMS Rishikesh. His death brought renewed national attention to the ecological condition of the Ganga and to the need for stronger river-conservation measures. Dr. Agrawal's life represented an unusual synthesis of engineering excellence, academic service, public administration and environmental activism. He moved from designing major engineering projects to questioning the environmental consequences of development and ultimately dedicated the final decades of his life to protecting India's rivers and advocating for sustainable development. His commitment to the Ganga made him one of India's most prominent environmental activists.
Honouring his distinguished contributions to Environmental Engineering, Public Service and River Conservation, and his lifelong commitment to protecting the Ganga and India's natural environment, IIT Kanpur confers upon the late Dr. Guru Das Agrawal the Satyendra K. Dubey Memorial Award 2026.