Published : April 24, 2021 20:09 IST
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A female great Indian bustard that was killed after it collided with power lines in Kutch. Photo: Devesh Gadhavi, The Corbett Foundation
There’s good news for the great Indian bustard (GIB). The Supreme Court has directed the governments of Gujarat and Rajasthan to lay high voltage power lines underground in the habitats of the bird to aid in its conservation efforts. The bird, found only in India and certain areas of Pakistan, is classified as “critically endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Power lines have long been a threat to the GIB and is also one of the prime reasons behind the steep decline in the GIB population in the past decade. Research studies conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India have shown that nearly 18 GIBs die every year because of collision with power lines in the Thar region, Rajasthan.