Despite an order from the Supreme Court, work on laying of overhead power lines has reportedly continued in the habitats of Great Indian Bustard (GIB) in Rajasthan and Gujarat without complying with conditions laid down by the apex court. None of the existing power lines has been fitted with bird diverters. This amounts to contempt of court, say sources in the know.
The Supreme Court on April 19, 2021, issued direction to lay underground power lines in GIB habitats. The GIB is a critically endangered bird with its last viable breeding population in India. About 100 of these magnificent grassland birds remain in the world.
Though habitat loss and degradation have been responsible for this bird’s decline in the past few decades, their deaths due to collision with overhead power lines are today the biggest direct threat. GIB needs grasslands and semi-arid areas to survive.
The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and The Corbett Foundation (TCF) in a release said most of these areas are unfortunately categorized as ‘revenue wastelands’ in governmental records, and therefore given away for solar and wind energy projects in India. Large renewable energy projects across GIB habitats, mainly in Rajasthan and Gujarat, have put these already threatened species at the grave risk of extinction.
BNHS and TCF have been working for GIB conservation for decades, including monitoring, habitat improvement, community engagement, and conservation planning with state forest departments and villagers.
The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) estimates that 18 GIBs die each year due to collision with power lines. In light of this, conservation is the need of the hour for this critically endangered species.
The SC direction in MK Ranjitsinh petition is significant as it gives specific binding directions that have to be mandatorily followed in GIB habitat. It makes it mandatory for all power lines lines in both the ‘potential’ and ‘priority’ habitat of the GIB to be laid underground in future.
The SC has directed that lines be taken underground immediately, stressing that irrespective of the cost factor the priority shall be to save the near-extinct birds. Until the lines are made underground, bird-diverters are to be installed on all lines immediately. Only for those high voltage power lines where technical feasibility issues are found in laying them underground, the SC has constituted a three-member expert committee to examine the feasibility.
The SC has also given specific directions to protect the nesting sites of the GIB. For the underground power lines, the court has given one year from the date of the order within which the work is supposed to be completed. It is important to note that renewable energy units already existing in the area have not been asked to move from sites or stop work in Rajasthan or Gujarat.
“Despite the SC order, none of the existing power lines has been fitted with bird diverters. This disobedience amounts to contempt of court. New renewable energy parks have been planned in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and other states. We hope that the companies involved have taken appropriate measures in their planning stages to create infrastructure as mandated,” said Kedar Gore, director, The Corbett Foundation.
Today, the GIB’s regular breeding sites are only in the Thar desert landscape (Rajasthan) and Kutch landscape. Despite having good habitat, the bird is locally extinct in Madhya Pradesh. A few birds are found in Pakistan, moving between the two countries.
For this reason, India recently proposed a concerted action plan (CAP) for the GIB under the aegis of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). In order to fulfillits commitments towards the GIB, India has pioneered a conservation breeding programme in Rajasthan. This has been successfully implemented by the WII in collaboration with the Rajasthan forest department, and several chicks are currently being raised at this centre.
“These chicks eventually have to be released in GIB habitat not only in Rajasthan but in all its former range. But for this to happen, it is essential that large swathes of safe and secured habitat are made available to GIB in the future,” says Dr Bivash Pandav, director, Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS).
Pandav said, “One of the most charismatic bird species of India, the GIB is undoubtedly standing at the doorstep of extinction. With a population of less than 100, the Thar desert is the one and only intensive critical care unit (ICCU) of GIB in the world. BNHS applauds the SC judgment and firmly believes in leaving no stone unturned in safeguarding the remaining bustard habitats.”
GIB habitat areas are also important for endangered birds like the lesser florican and MacQueen’s bustard, which are smaller bustard species requiring grasslands to survive. Several other birds also die in collision with powerlines. The WII also estimates that over one lakh birds are killed annually in Thar due to electric lines.
“TCF’s unpublished data reveals that nearly 30,000 birds of three different species die due to collision with power lines annually just in Abdasa taluka of Kutch district, Gujarat. The GIB habitat in Abdasa also provides refuge to about 25 other globally threatened birds. Several lesser-known but threatened species of mammals such as caracal, desert fox, desert cat, hedgehog, hyena, Indian wolf, etc,” said Gore.
