I have sometimes had fits of depression worrying about what part I can individually play to turn dreams into reality, to make conservation happen. In a system which is not conducive to conservation, should we not take up a role that is much more active?
Through this little piece, I want to encourage all school children who are reading it to take an active role in safeguarding our biodiversity. Let us see what the Narcondam hornbills are up against and what you all can do to stop them from fading into oblivion.
Hornbills have a long, down-curved bill because of which their family name is Bucerotidae (from the word ‘buceros’ meaning cow-horn). Narcondam hornbills are a unique species endemic to Narcondam, a remote island and wildlife sanctuary in the Andaman and Nicobar island group.
There are only about 350 Narcondam hornbills which are found on this 6.5 sq km island. But despite being so tiny and far away from the mainland, Narcondam failed to evade the Indian Coast Guard’s eyes. They proposed this very island for construction of a Radar system and a diesel power generation station in order to protect the country against sea intrusions that could pose a danger to national security. They have indicated that this will take up less than one hectare of the island and will also serve to protect the hornbills from poaching.
But this information is misleading. The construction will be on top of a hillock on the isle. A two-kilometre road will have to be constructed through lush green forest to reach the hillock, with the cutting down of innumerable trees. What’s more, the labourers and workers will cut down more trees for safer, cleaner places to live in.
Once all this happens Narcondam will become a ‘defence project’ and thus everything will become off limit to researchers. Who will then monitor the bird population or even suggest prevention of certain activities which might disturb the birds?
There are 80 to 90 breeding pairs among the Narcondam hornbills, which have highly specialised breeding habitats and look for tall nesting trees with suitable crevices in which they lay eggs and raise chicks. Nest trees may be re-used year after year and the hornbill is a sensitive slow-breeding species. Sixty per cent of their nests are located below 100m elevation on the island and 98 per cent are located below 300m elevation. The construction of structures and access roads that cut through this elevation zone will thus negatively affect the bird’s breeding population. The road, labour camps and all other accompanying work in a volcanic island with ash beds and loose rocks and soil will also lead to instability and erosion.
According to scientists from Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and History (SACON) and Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF), all this will damage up to 60 per cent of hornbill habitat.
Now the question is why do we suddenly need such security and are there no alternatives? After all, a decision like this will leave a species with no future but to go extinct. Researchers think that there are other suitable islands which can be chosen.
I request all readers to please write to Jayanthi Natarajan, Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Chairperson, Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, Paryavaran Bhavan, CGO Complex, Lodi Road, New Delhi -110003 or mail her at mosefgoi@nic.in. People who love wildife hardly rally for a change in the system that will require activism of the highest level. At least, we can do what is the minimum requirement or stop saying “we love wildlife” forever!