SC demands update on electricity cables at Great Indian Bustard habitat
The Supreme Court has recently sought an update on the electrical wiring in the Great Indian Bustard’s Habitat due to accidents involving the Great Indian Bustard.
- It may be noted that in April 2021, the Supreme Court ordered power companies of Rajasthan and Gujarat to underground high-tension electrical wires, to save the Great Indian Bustard from getting entangled in electrical wires.
- A three-member high level committee was also constituted to examine the feasibility of this task.
- Now the Supreme Court has directed this committee to submit the status report in the next three weeks.
- However, the Center and the Rajasthan government objected to the Supreme Court’s April 2021 order, saying it was not practical to implement the order, adding that the security features in it were at high risk and would cost more to implement.
- It was also argued that the implementation of this order could have a massive adverse impact on the power sector in India. Also, efforts to transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy will be affected.
- It is worth noting that most of the areas included in the habitat of the Great Indian Bustard are important for the development of renewable energy.
The Great Indian Bustard is also facing some other threats, which are as follows:
Poaching, habitat loss, greening projects, under which dry grasslands are being converted into forest areas, poaching of their eggs by poachers, etc.
Steps taken for Conservation of Great Indian Bustard:
- This species is included in the Species for Recovery Program. This program has been started under the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitat of the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
- It has also been included under the National Wildlife Action Plan (2002-2016).
Great Indian Bustard (GIB)
- Its habitat includes arid and semi-arid grasslands, open areas with thorny scrub, agricultural land areas with tall grasses.
- Great Indian busts avoid going to irrigated areas. Rajasthan has the highest number of this species. It is an endemic species of the Indian subcontinent.
- Its status in the IUCN is critically endangered.
Major Sites: Desert National Park (Rajasthan), Naliya (Gujarat), Warora (Maharashtra), Bellary (Karnataka), etc.
Source – The Hindu
