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SAVE THE NARCONDAM HORNBILL
The Madras Naturalists' Society is a non-profit, voluntary, non-governmental organisation established in the year 1978 to create environmental awareness and spread the message of nature conservation among members and the general public, especially the youth.
There is a serious threat being faced by Narcondam Island and the endemic and endangered Narcondam Hornbill (Aceros narcondami).
Narcondam is an extremely remote, tiny island in the Andaman and Nicobar Island group, and is home to about 300 Narcondam hornbills, a species which is found nowhere else in the world. The island is uninhabited but for a small police outpost.
A proposal from the Indian Coast Guard to build a RADAR installation and a diesel power generation station on the island was recently placed before the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL). The plan includes new constructions, a wide 2-km road that will require considerable tree felling, additional human presence, and high potential for chronic and increased disturbance to this lushly forested island and its small hornbill population.
The existing police outpost has itself caused some loss of habitat. It is dependent on the single freshwater source available on the island, and any additional human presence and installations will only compound the problems for the island and its unique flora and fauna.
Dr. Asad R Rahmani, Director, Bombay Natural History Society, who made a site visit in February this year on behalf of the Standing Committee, has strongly recommended rejection of this proposal. This was unanimously supported by the other Independent Members of the NBWL at the last Standing Committee meeting held on 13 June 2012. Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF), a Member of the NBWL and its Standing Committee, has, in its letter to the Hon’ble Minister, detailed all the ecological reasons as to why the project must not be given the go-ahead.
We strongly support the stands taken by the Independent Members on the Standing Committee and sincerely request you to heed scientific advice and take a far-sighted decision to reject the proposal and safeguard this fragile island and its wildlife, especially the Narcondam Hornbill.
Members of the Madras Naturalists' Society