JORHAT, Oct 4: Assam Environment and Forest Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah visited Padma Shri awardee and environmentalist Jadav Payeng at Jorhat Medical College and Hospital (JMCH) on October 3 and said the state government would bear the cost of his treatment.
Payeng, popularly known as the ‘Forest Man of India’, was admitted to JMCH on October 1 after developing a high fever and is undergoing treatment for respiratory problems. Doctors said his condition was stable, although he had earlier required intensive care after his oxygen saturation dropped and he experienced breathing difficulties.
Baruah visited Payeng after attending the reopening programme of Kaziranga National Park. He spoke with the doctors treating Payeng and the JMCH superintendent about his health and treatment.
“His invaluable contribution to tree plantation and social forestry has earned global recognition,” Baruah said in a social media post while wishing Payeng a speedy recovery.
Payeng has spent decades transforming a barren sandbar in the Brahmaputra into a forest and was awarded the Padma Shri in 2015 for his contribution to environmental conservation.
