Name it ‘Menon Silent Valley’, says Swaminathan

In a tribute to him, he said “Prof Menon was a scientist’s scientist who laid the scientific community for over five decades.’’  He was the most active exponent of the concept of Nehru that “the future belongs to science and those who make friendship with science”, Prof Swaminathan said in a message here. Prof Menon’s contribution to promoting relevance and excellence in science in our country was unparalled. He not only made great contributions in his chosen field of research, viz. physics, but also promoted all other sciences both theoretical and applied. Prof Menon made a unique contribution in saving the Silent Valley Rainforest of Kerala and helped to convert it into a biosphere reserve, Prof Swaminathan said.   

‘’We should acknowledge this unique contribution by naming the silent valley biosphere reserve as Prof M G K Menon Biosphere Reserve’’, he said. ‘’His concern was always a wellbeing of science and scientist in our country and internationally. He gave his time generously to building Science Academies in order to make them serve as the voice of scientist’’, he said. Prof Menon’s life and work will inspire and guide generations of young scientists and a scientist to be born’’, Prof Swaminathan said. 

Save Silent Valley was a social movement aimed at the protection of Silent Valley, an evergreen tropical forest in the Palakkad district of Kerala, India. It was started in 1973 to save the Silent Valley Reserve Forest from being flooded by a hydroelectric project. The Silent Valley National Park has an area of 237. 52 sq km and is located in the North-eastern corner of Palakkad district. It rises abruptly to the Nilgiri Plateau in the North and overlooks the plains of Mannarkkad in the South. Extremely fragile, a unique preserve of tropical evergreen rain forests which is a veritable nursery of flora and fauna.