A mascot in peril: How a large enhancement challenge threatens the Nicobar Megapode
A shy, large-footed, terrestrial fowl endemic to the Nicobar group of islands, identified to incubate its eggs in a mound of soil and leaf litter, was declared the election mascot for the Nicobar district final thirty day period in the operate-up to the Lok Sabha elections: the Nicobar megapode.
The Deputy Commissioner of the Nicobar district, Jyoti Kumari, even claimed the hen will raise voting to 100 for every cent. But the Terrific Nicobar enhancement challenge, declared in 2020, could destroy a substantial swath of the megapode’s nesting and foraging grounds: the design operate, which is quickly to start, threatens 80 per cent of the famed mascot’s mounds.
At 921 sq.km., the greatest of the Nicobar Islands, Great Nicobar, supports the largest number of megapodes. A 20-yr-outdated study discovered that 97 per cent of all megapode mounds in Terrific Nicobar were found within just 100m of the seashore. This will make the species extremely susceptible to improvements on the shoreline. The tsunami of 2004 led to a lessen in their inhabitants in the island by 71 per cent.
Also Examine | How controversial growth chokes India’s archipelagos
The Great Nicobar growth project spanning above 166.10 sq.km., has four main factors: a transshipment port on the jap facet of Galathea Bay, a ability plant on its western facet, and an intercontinental airport that will be constructed immediately after relocating two villages of Gandhinagar and Shastrinagar, and a township of 150 sq.km. (of which 12.6 sq.km. is for the defence sector and 137.27 sq.km. is for ‘other land uses’. These ‘other land uses’ include things like residences catering to a inhabitants of about 3,83,000, shopping spots, hospitals, educational establishments, entertainment hubs, and meals and beverage centres, in accordance to information collected by the Qualified Appraisal Committee (EAC) throughout the course of action of natural environment clearance.
Completely wrecked
The Setting Effect Assessment (EIA) report suggests of the land reclamation for the port: ‘no growth will be prepared on the Megapode nesting sites’. It also states that for the duration of the design and procedure, there is a ‘possibility’ that megapode mounds may possibly reduce, and if the extensive-time period analyze initiated by the Zoological Study of India, Port Blair, concludes that the birds are getting afflicted, translocation of the birds could be thought of. The EAC committee conference in 2022 concluded that there are about 51 energetic megapode nests in job spot, out of which close to 30 will be completely ruined.
Meanwhile, there are two conservation and checking designs, spanning 10 yrs, to preserve the chicken.
WII’s proposal involves inhabitants monitoring, finding out the purpose of habitat options in identifying population, knowing the breeding and nesting ecology, rainfall sample, dispersal, and meta-populace dynamics, vulnerability to pure and anthropogenic threats, and stakeholder engagement in establishing community conservation reserves. SACON’s proposal incorporates all of these targets along with the proposal to prepare and implement a relocation and a captive administration program for the Nicobar Megapode in the proposed venture web page.
Also Examine | Terrific Nicobar: Whose land is it?
Wildlife Institute of India (WII) had quoted over Rs.13 crores in addition to creating two exploration stations. The Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Normal Heritage (SACON) asked for in excess of Rs.11 crores, a jeep, a speedboat, and a individual spending budget to the Andaman and Nicobar Forest Department to developing investigate stations. The two institutes merged past yr dependent as portion of the Ministry of Finance’s drive to ‘rationalise’ autonomous establishments below the Ministry of Atmosphere, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
In purchase to compensate for the loss of habitat of the bird in Excellent Nicobar, a new wildlife sanctuary was declared in 2022 in Menchal Island. The 1.29 sq.km. island retains specific importance to the indigenous Terrific Nicobarese folks. The group was not consulted ahead of the sanctuary was proposed, nor was the Tribal Council notified when the proclamation recognize was built general public. Indeed, the declaration of the new wildlife sanctuary for the megapode seems to be a box-ticking exercise to obtain an environmental clearance of the project.
In buy to make home for the development, an area of 130.65 sq.km. of the Cenozoic era (some 65 million years back) forest alongside the eastern and south-western coast of the island has been diverted 9.64 lakh trees are projected to be chopped. This reduction of habitat will right impact the populace of megapodes in Terrific Nicobar.
Raining cats and pet dogs
The unfold of ailments from launched birds is previously a grave worry. An outbreak of avian cholera in domestic fowl in 1997 experienced been transmitted to the Nicobar megapode. Ship-assisted accidental introductions of property crows and popular mynahs on the island have resulted in competition of food and habitat for the megapode and other native birds. The predation on eggs or megapode chicks by feral cats and canines that have been introduced on these islands have not been researched until date.
The moment the construction commences, the birds will without having a question depart their nesting and foraging grounds foremost to a comprehensive wipe-out of the species from the east and southern-west coastline of Good Nicobar. The kinds that continue to be are probable to turn into victims of poaching, disease, territorial fights and predation from cats and puppies.
With the bids for the to start with phase of the Wonderful Nicobar enhancement project to be floated soon, a single can only hope that the Nicobar megapode can come to be a mascot for the protection of its island.
A shy, large-footed, terrestrial fowl endemic to the Nicobar group of islands, identified to incubate its eggs in a mound of soil and leaf litter, was declared the election mascot for the Nicobar district final thirty day period in the operate-up to the Lok Sabha elections: the Nicobar megapode.
The Deputy Commissioner of the Nicobar district, Jyoti Kumari, even claimed the hen will raise voting to 100 for every cent. But the Terrific Nicobar enhancement challenge, declared in 2020, could destroy a substantial swath of the megapode’s nesting and foraging grounds: the design operate, which is quickly to start, threatens 80 per cent of the famed mascot’s mounds.
At 921 sq.km., the greatest of the Nicobar Islands, Great Nicobar, supports the largest number of megapodes. A 20-yr-outdated study discovered that 97 per cent of all megapode mounds in Terrific Nicobar were found within just 100m of the seashore. This will make the species extremely susceptible to improvements on the shoreline. The tsunami of 2004 led to a lessen in their inhabitants in the island by 71 per cent.
Also Examine | How controversial growth chokes India’s archipelagos
The Great Nicobar growth project spanning above 166.10 sq.km., has four main factors: a transshipment port on the jap facet of Galathea Bay, a ability plant on its western facet, and an intercontinental airport that will be constructed immediately after relocating two villages of Gandhinagar and Shastrinagar, and a township of 150 sq.km. (of which 12.6 sq.km. is for the defence sector and 137.27 sq.km. is for ‘other land uses’. These ‘other land uses’ include things like residences catering to a inhabitants of about 3,83,000, shopping spots, hospitals, educational establishments, entertainment hubs, and meals and beverage centres, in accordance to information collected by the Qualified Appraisal Committee (EAC) throughout the course of action of natural environment clearance.
Completely wrecked
The Setting Effect Assessment (EIA) report suggests of the land reclamation for the port: ‘no growth will be prepared on the Megapode nesting sites’. It also states that for the duration of the design and procedure, there is a ‘possibility’ that megapode mounds may possibly reduce, and if the extensive-time period analyze initiated by the Zoological Study of India, Port Blair, concludes that the birds are getting afflicted, translocation of the birds could be thought of. The EAC committee conference in 2022 concluded that there are about 51 energetic megapode nests in job spot, out of which close to 30 will be completely ruined.
Meanwhile, there are two conservation and checking designs, spanning 10 yrs, to preserve the chicken.
WII’s proposal involves inhabitants monitoring, finding out the purpose of habitat options in identifying population, knowing the breeding and nesting ecology, rainfall sample, dispersal, and meta-populace dynamics, vulnerability to pure and anthropogenic threats, and stakeholder engagement in establishing community conservation reserves. SACON’s proposal incorporates all of these targets along with the proposal to prepare and implement a relocation and a captive administration program for the Nicobar Megapode in the proposed venture web page.
Also Examine | Terrific Nicobar: Whose land is it?
Wildlife Institute of India (WII) had quoted over Rs.13 crores in addition to creating two exploration stations. The Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Normal Heritage (SACON) asked for in excess of Rs.11 crores, a jeep, a speedboat, and a individual spending budget to the Andaman and Nicobar Forest Department to developing investigate stations. The two institutes merged past yr dependent as portion of the Ministry of Finance’s drive to ‘rationalise’ autonomous establishments below the Ministry of Atmosphere, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
In purchase to compensate for the loss of habitat of the bird in Excellent Nicobar, a new wildlife sanctuary was declared in 2022 in Menchal Island. The 1.29 sq.km. island retains specific importance to the indigenous Terrific Nicobarese folks. The group was not consulted ahead of the sanctuary was proposed, nor was the Tribal Council notified when the proclamation recognize was built general public. Indeed, the declaration of the new wildlife sanctuary for the megapode seems to be a box-ticking exercise to obtain an environmental clearance of the project.
In buy to make home for the development, an area of 130.65 sq.km. of the Cenozoic era (some 65 million years back) forest alongside the eastern and south-western coast of the island has been diverted 9.64 lakh trees are projected to be chopped. This reduction of habitat will right impact the populace of megapodes in Terrific Nicobar.
Raining cats and pet dogs
The unfold of ailments from launched birds is previously a grave worry. An outbreak of avian cholera in domestic fowl in 1997 experienced been transmitted to the Nicobar megapode. Ship-assisted accidental introductions of property crows and popular mynahs on the island have resulted in competition of food and habitat for the megapode and other native birds. The predation on eggs or megapode chicks by feral cats and canines that have been introduced on these islands have not been researched until date.
The moment the construction commences, the birds will without having a question depart their nesting and foraging grounds foremost to a comprehensive wipe-out of the species from the east and southern-west coastline of Good Nicobar. The kinds that continue to be are probable to turn into victims of poaching, disease, territorial fights and predation from cats and puppies.
With the bids for the to start with phase of the Wonderful Nicobar enhancement project to be floated soon, a single can only hope that the Nicobar megapode can come to be a mascot for the protection of its island.