The state bird of Rajasthan – Great Indian Bustard (GIB) – has been dwindling from its past numbers over the past several years. While successive governments have made elaborate plans to save the species, not much difference has been observed and infact, the numbers have continued to dwindle.
While there were over 200 birds in Rajasthan nearly two decades back, the number is well below the hundred marks today. The ineffectiveness and probably a non-cooperative stance between the state and Central government appears to be a major cause for the birds’ population going down. Interestingly, now the Secretary of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has shot a letter to Chief Secretary of Rajasthan asking for cooperation in saving the Great Indian Bustard. The Secretary seeks “active support” from the state government towards the MoEFCC’s recovery plan for Bustards. Interestingly, as reported earlier by DNA, the power transmission lines and wind farms have cropped up as a major issue that has caused the decline of the species.
The letter from MoEFCC Secretary CK Mishra to Rajasthan Chief Secretary DB Gupta reads, “I would like to bring to your knowledge that this Ministry is facing a tough challenge of saving GIB, one of the flagship bird species of India and State bird of Rajasthan, from its extinction from India and earth.” The letter further emphasises that the global population of the species is less than 150 birds and only the population of this in Rajasthan and Gujarat has some scope for revival. The letter then goes out to state that the GIB habitats are under great threat due to a continuous increase in power transmission lines and Wind Energy Farms network.
Notably, the letter from the MoEFCC Secretary suggests putting up bird diverters on the conductors of the power transmission lines. “Standing Committee of National Board of Wild Life in its 47th meeting has made the submission of the animal passage plan, prepared on the basis of WII guidelines, mandatory for considering approval of any new linear infrastructure project proposal passing through protected areas and other wildlife-rich areas. These guidelines suggest putting up of the bird diverters on the conductors of the power transmission lines,” the letter reads.
Meanwhile, the Ministry is now constituting an inter-ministerial Task Force that includes officers of the Ministry of Power, PGCIL, Central Electricity Authority and MoEFCC for suggesting various measures for avoiding the death of birds and other animals due to electrocution and collision with power transmission lines. The letter has also mentioned that the Forest Advisory Committee made it mandatory to paint the tip of wind turbine with orange colour to avoid bird hits while also deploying bird diverter conductors on power transmission lines. Meanwhile, the Secretary further states that, “attempts made by the Ministry for saving the GIB from its extinction will go in vain unless active support from your State is received.” The MoEFCC has proposed to hold a meeting with power transmission line companies and Wind Energy Farm Developers to get their support.
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