GREAT INDIAN BUSTARD
Great Indian Bustard (GIB) count fell below 100.
Habitat: Arid and semi-arid grasslands, open country with thorn scrub, tall grass interspersed with cultivation. It avoids irrigated areas. Rajasthan has the highest population and it is endemic to Indian Sub-continent.
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered.
Important Sites: Desert National Park Sanctuary (Rajasthan), Naliya (Gujarat), Warora (Maharashtra) and Bellary (Karnataka)
REASON FOR DECLINE OF POPULATION
The population of GIB is dwindling due to the lack of action to convert the overhead cable to underground power transmission in Gujarat and Rajasthan. (Due to excessive Renewable Energy (solar parks) projects).
- The Great Indian Bustard (“GIB”) lacks frontal vision. Due to this, they cannot detect power lines ahead of them, from far. As they are heavy birds, they are unable to manoeuvre across power lines within close distances. Thus, they are vulnerable to collision with power lines.
- In the case of low-voltage lines, electrocution is often the cause of death due to smaller phase to phase separation distance.
- High voltage lines do not cause death due to electrocution but cause death due to
ACTIONS TAKEN
- In April 2021, Supreme Court had ordered the power companies in the two states to make the high-tension power lines underground so that GIB do not get caught in the web. (GIB Potential Areas)
- Bird Diverters have to be installed on overhead lines where making them underground is not possible. (GIB Priority Areas)
- A three-member high-level committee was also formed to investigate the feasibility of the work.
THE 2024 ORDER
On January 19, 2024, multiple solar and wind energy producing companies filed applications in the Supreme Court claiming that the April 2021 order was interfering with their ability to set up business in the Thar and Kutch regions.
The Central government also appeared before the three-judge bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud and highlighted the practical and financial difficulties involved in implementing the decision as over 80,688 square kilometres had been identified as ‘potential’ GIB habitat and 13,550 square kilometres as ‘priority’ GIB habitat and pushed for a balance between GIB conservation and renewable energy efforts.
- On March 19, 2024 the case was heard again and Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhatti recommended the creation of a technical committee constituted by the Ministry of Power to give recommendations on the undergrounding of power lines.
- Senior Advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for the petitioners, cautioned the court against walking back its April 2021 decision, and stated that overhead power lines would pose an existential threat to the GIB. He also stated that if the GIB went extinct, it would be the first major avian species to go extinct since independence.
- The bench appeared to be sympathetic towards the Centre’s stand that 80,688 sq km of land could not be earmarked for underground power lines, and suggested carving out a ‘critical’ area of roughly 6000 sq km where undergrounding could take place. The bench also directed both parties to come up with a list of names for a committee to tackle the GIB issue further.
On March 21, the parties returned with a list of names and the court acknowledged that its April 2021 order with “blanket” directions to underground power lines in the GIB potential area may need to be updated.
It created a seven-member committee which has been tasked with suggesting conservation and protection measures for the GIB, identifying areas in the 13,000 sq km ‘priority’ area where power lines can be constructed as well as areas that are vital for the conservation of the GIB.
The committee has to submit a report by July 31 and the court has lifted the blanket restriction against constructing underground power lines.
