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Context: The Centre has approached the Supreme Court seeking modification of its order directing that all transmission cables in the habitat of the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) be laid underground.

Centre argued that the

• area falling in Rajasthan and Gujarat contains a large proportion of the country’s total solar and wind energy potential
• undergrounding high voltage power lines is technically not possible as “there is no manufacturer of underground/ insulated cables for 765 kV in the world”.
• this process will escalate the cost of renewable energy production and hurt India’s renewable energy cause.
• energy transition is essential for reducing emission and controlling climate change and India has made international commitments including under the agreement signed in Paris in 2015 under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for transition to non-fossil fuels and for emission reduction.
• India, has set a target to achieve installed renewable energy capacity (excluding large Hydro) of 175 GW by 2022 and 450 GW by 2030.
• It urged the court to allow high voltage and extra high voltage lines i.e. 66 kV and above power lines in Priority GIB Habitat to be laid as overhead power lines with installation of appropriate mitigation measures such as bird diverters.
  • The diverters are called fireflies because they look like fireflies from a distance, shining on power lines in the night.

What was SC order?

• In a bid to check the dwindling numbers of the endangered Great Indian Bustard and Lesser Florican, a Supreme Court bench directed that overhead power lines be laid underground, wherever feasible, passing along the habitat of the birds in Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Measure taken by the government:

• To ensure conservation of the GIB and its habitat, MoEF&CC has developed the National Bustard Recovery Plans which are currently being implemented by conservation agencies.
• MoEF&CC, Rajasthan government and Wildlife Institute of India (WII) have also established a conservation breeding facility in Desert National Park at Jaisalmer in June 2019.

Need:

• As per a report by the Wildlife Institute of India, only 150 Great Indian Bustards are left in India.
• The bird has disappeared from 90% of its original range.
• Great Indian Bustard habitats need to be declared as conservation reserves
• The mega flauna with largest wing span are on the “brink of extinction.

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/great-indian-bustard-habitat-govt-urges-sc-to-modify-order-on-underground-cables-7671557/

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