Uttarakhand and the nation has today lost an eminent geologist of international repute, former Vice chancellor of Kumaon university, professor of Rajasthan university, n Centre for Advanced Scientific Research Bengluru and recipient of prestigious awards Padma Shri n Padma Bhushan eigthy three year old Professor Khadak Singh Waldia.
An intellectual to the core and an eminent geologist having extreme indepth knowledge and an authority in Asian subcontinent Professor Khadak Singh Waldia will always be remembered in the annals of history as a well known geologist whose every inch of knowledge of the entire Himalayan region is incomparable. Also credited for being the post doctoral fellow during his youth in Hopkins University Dr. Khadak Singh Waldia had his roots in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand having born in Myanmar then Rangoon on 20th March 1937.
According to seniour journalist Shyam Singh Rawat Dr. Waldia’s hearing power was adversely affected for the whole life when he could not withstand the horrible sounds of repeated bombings during the world war 2 while he was in Myanmar then Rangoon at the mere age of five. Dr. Waldia was an outstanding lecturer who was extremely well versed n proven in explaining geology in literary genre.
His indepth and widespread knowledge impressed one and all and made him an authority in geology in Asian subcontinent. It was on account of Dr Waldia’s deep research only that it was revealed for the very first time that the Himalayas every year shift on an average 5 centimetre towards the North and 2 centimetees upwards. It was these laudable inventions of his about Himalayas that other geologists made these invention pf Dr. Waldia as their basis of their research says Shyam Singh Rawat. Apart from being an eminent geologist of international fame Dr. Khadak Singh Waldia had authored three books as well namely High Dams in the Himalayas, Himalayas in Trouble ( Sankat mein hain Himalaya in Hindi) and his biography titled : Pathreeli Pagdandiyon Parr( On Rocky Trails) in Hindi. All his books were quite popular. Popularly reverred as the true son of himalayas Dr. Waldia’s sad demise has left a huge vaccum in field of Himalayan R n D having lost a great geologist of international repute and eminence.
