Make powerlines underground to save GIBs in Gujarat, Rajasthan: SC

Nagpur: The Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Bobde, Justice AS Bopanna and Justice V Ramasubramanian has directed the Rajasthan and Gujarat governments to lay underground power lines in the identified habitats of

Great Indian Bustard

(GIB) in the two states. Also, the SC clearly gave a timeline of one year to complete the work.

The SC on April 19, 2021, also ordered that all the future power lines must be underground in the areas identified in the order. The court has also ordered the installation of bird-diverters on the power lines till they are made underground so that the birds can see the cables from a distance and avoid colliding with them.

The apex court order came while hearing a PIL filed by MK Ranjitsinh, former bureaucrat, Piraram Bishnoi, Navinbhai Bapat, Santosh Martin, and The Corbett Foundation. The petitioners had requested the SC to take necessary decisions for the conservation of GIB & Lesser Florican in the country.

The power lines passing through GIB habitats have proved fatal for the birds. It is one of the prime reasons behind the steep decline in GIB population in the past decade.

To protect the species, the petitioners requested laying underground power lines in critical bustard habitats and installing bird diverters on all power lines in semi-critical habitats.

Apart from this, the PIL also demanded habitat protection, control over disturbance caused by free-ranging dogs and other predators, conservation breeding programme of GIB and stopping any further development and expansion of wind farms and solar parks in the bustard habitat.

Even local people of Kutch and Rajasthan have repeatedly complained about the threat these power lines pose to various other bird species in addition to the GIB.

The SC stated that GIB is on the verge of extinction, and it is necessary to take this action for the conservation of this endangered species. In response, the power ministry said that the low voltage lines (66kv) could be easily underground while the high voltage lines (130 kv) and above are slightly difficult and expensive to be made underground. The SC said it may be difficult but not impossible.

Experts have welcomed the decision. “I welcome this landmark decision. GIBs are struggling to survive and it is our moral responsibility not only to prevent their extinction but also to ensure a safe and secure future for these heaviest flying birds of Indian grasslands,” said Kedar Gore, director, The Corbett Foundation.

“This is perhaps the finest judgment of the SC for the long-term protection of the GIB, but we must see that the judgment is strictly followed by the power companies and the governments,” said Asad R Rahmani, former director, Bombay Natural History Society.

“I have full trust in the law of this country. Now, the state governments should take immediate actions to underground the power lines. Just like lions and tigers, GIB is also the pride of our nation, and it is our duty to protect it. The European countries have already made their power lines underground for the safety of bustards,” said Devesh Gadhavi, deputy director, The Corbett Foundation.

Navinbhai Bapat, a noted birdwatcher and a petitioner said, “I trust that the law of this country and the joint efforts by the conservationists will surely save this species from extinction. Rampant development on the grasslands and pasture land in Kutch will prove detrimental for livestock and wildlife in the long run. Power lines passing through various grasslands and pasture lands are also responsible for numerous fire incidents resulting in the loss of fodder and grass.”