On Friday, January 19, the Supreme Court of India urged the Centre to bolster appropriate plans in order to conserve the Great Indian Bustard (GIB). The bird, found predominantly in Gujarat and Rajasthan, has seen tremendous decrease in recent years. As per reports, the lateral vision of the bird makes it difficult for it to abruptly change its course causing it to collide with “overhead transmission lines”, including those of solar power plants.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) stated in one of its reports that the Great Indian Bustards are in grave danger and are on the verge of going extinct, with only 50 to 249 remaining.
CJI Asks Centre To Issue “Comprehensive Status Report”
The Supreme Court bench which includes Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said, “We want the Centre to tell us about the way forward. Otherwise, we will be groping in dark,”. CJI Chandrachud further inquired about the “efficacy” of the study asking, “Do we have any authentic data from a government-monitored study on the efficacy of the bird diverters in saving the GIBs from collision-related deaths,”.
The bench has urged the government to come up with a “comprehensive status report” in order to effectively deal with conservation project while also fulfilling the country’s international commitments towards solar energy production.
Petitioner Claims SC’s Previous Orders Are Being Disregarded
Senior advocate, Mr. Shyam Divan, stated on behalf of the PIL petitioner, MK Ranjitsinh, that the measures which are being taken to safeguard the birds are not in accordance with SC’s previous guidelines.
The apex court had issues a number of measures which included replacing overhead lines with underground wiring and undertaking adequate assessments to discern the total length of transmission lines in the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat. The court had also asked to install bird diverters in necessary areas.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing on behalf of the solar project operators, claimed that most of the collisions take place in areas which are crucial for India’s solar energy projects, aimed at reducing the country’s carbon footprint. Singhvi further added that placing the high-voltage transmission lines underground is not feasible and poses significant risk.
Simultaneous Dealing Of Two Public Issues
The Court sought advice from the Attorney General for India R Venkataramani, appearing on behalf of the Union, as to what measures need to be taken so as to ensure the protection of the GIB while also working towards India’s clean energy goals.
The government along with the Chief Secretaries of the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat have been asked to submit their respective status reports before the next hearing, scheduled to take place on February 9.
