Botanist and environmental science expert Gambhir Singh Yonzone, recipient of the Padma Shri in the ‘unsung heroes’ category, views his work in West Bengal’s Darjeeling and Sikkim as direct service to the nation.

The 86-year-old former professor, based in Kalimpong district’s Pedong, expressed gratitude to the Union government for the honour. “My service to the region means service to the nation,” Yonzone told PTI over phone.

A former Botany and Plant Science faculty at Darjeeling Government College and principal of Kalimpong College for 12 years, Yonzone has authored six books. He is currently writing on sustainable development perspectives in the Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalayas, including north Bengal.

Yonzone, who later shifted focus to environmental science, plans workshops for local farmers on medicinal plants to boost their income four to five times over conventional agriculture.