Kannur: Noted environmentalist John C Jacob who fought relentlessly for preserving nature died of old age related ailments in Payyanur near here today, family sources said.

John (72), who has been ailing for some time, died this morning in an Ayurveda Hospital at Ezhilode near Payyanur where he was undergoing treatment for the last three weeks.

John is survived by wife and has no issue.

Born at Nattakam in Kottayam in 1936 he became lecturer in Deogiri College, Kozhikode and headed Zoology Department in Payyanur College, where he set up the +Green campus,+ Kerala s first campus based environment study programme.

John started a few environment based magazines stressing the need to preserve the forces of nature and set up Society for Environment Education, Kerala (SEEK) that published nature based magazine +Soochi Mukhi+ and led from the front in the movement against the Silent Valley project in South Kerala.

Recipient of Kerala government s +Vanamitra+ award and +Harita Puraskaram+ instituted by the Biodiversity Board John penned a few books on nature and translated environmentalist Danial Quinn s books +Ishmail+ and +My Ishmail+ in Malayalam.

John s body was cremated this evening at the Payyambalam beach here as per Hindu rites according to his wishes.
Source : PTI