KOZHIKODE: Environmentalist and former state president of Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad (KSSP) Dr A Achuthan, 89, passed away on Monday. He was undergoing treatment at the Kozhikode District Cooperative Hospital for age-related ailments.
As per his wish, the body will not be kept for the public to pay respects or offer wreaths, and it will be handed over to the Kozhikode Government Medical College for academic purposes. He is survived by wife Sulochana, son Dr Arun and daughter Dr Anupama A Manjula.
A native of Irinjalakuda in Thrissur district, Achuthan actively intervened in environmental issues. He was part of many environmental movements including the one to protect Silent Valley. He was also a member of the Plachimada People’s Commission and the committee constituted to study the impact of endosulfan.
An engineering graduate, Achuthan obtained a doctorate from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras.
He started his career as an engineer with the public works department, Kerala. Later, he stepped into teaching profession and joined Government Engineering College, Thrissur. He also taught at Government Engineering colleges in Thiruvanthapuram and Kozhikode. He had also served as a dean of the University of Calicut. He was also part of the department of science and technology of Kerala State Planning Board and the University Grants Commission (UGC).