Arunachal Pradesh: Hollongi Airport Gate Carries Crucial Message on Great Hornbill

ITANAGAR: The Great Hornbill Gate at Hollongi, gateway to Hollongi, Arunachal Pradesh's first functioning airport, carries a crucial message to prevent the extinction of the state bird.

Due to habitat degradation and poaching, the great hornbill is classified as "near threatened" and has been on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as vulnerable since 2018. There are between 13,000 and 27,000 great hornbills in the world, according to estimates.

The gate is shaped like a double-headed great hornbill, its wings spanning the entry and exit roads, to greet both those entering the airport and those travelling to the state by plane and exiting the airport. PM Narendra Modi is probably going to open this brand-new airport soon, reports suggest.

Under the direction of a young architect from Arunachal Pradesh called Aroty Panyang, bamboo workers created the gate. 

"Our original thought was how does this affect the design of the airport gate because airports symbolise flight and the early aeroplanes were inspired by the flight of birds. The great hornbill is a rare bird with distinctive traits, and it was the ideal model for the gate's design ", Aroty stated.

Although she wished for the airport entrance to serve as a symbol of diversity, it was urgent to shift the emphasis to conservation. Aroty stated, "We believe that by showcasing this lovely bird in this initiative, we will help to safeguard it and other endangered species in the globe."

The 23-foot-high and 82-foot-wide structure was built on a 2500 square-foot space using bamboo and cane to ensure that big vehicles and airport traffic could travel through it without being impeded. Cane and bamboo, with which the Arunachalee tribes have a long-standing bond, proved to be the ideal building materials. However, achieving perfection in a significant project with which the honour was associated was a huge struggle for Aroty and his crew. However, completing a monumental undertaking that was linked to the state's honour was a huge challenge for Aroty and his team.

"The traits, form, and flying off the big hornbill were all researched. The beak, with its majestic proportions to the size of the body, and the bird's enormous wingspan were among its most outstanding features. The gate's design included these into it "said she.

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