Proposed on the lines of Project Tiger, the country’s highest court seeks the government’s view on the idea. What prompted this? Here’s the story and background in five simplified points.
- THE PROPOSAL: Coming to the rescue of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB), the Supreme Court has mooted the idea of launching ‘Project GIB’ on the lines of ‘Project Tiger. A bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, and comprising justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian, also sought reports from the chief secretaries of Rajasthan and Gujarat in six weeks on the installation of bird diverters in priority areas and assess the total length of transmission lines in the two States where undergrounding of electric wires have to be done to ensure the birds do not die of electrocution.
- COMMITTEE FORMED: The Supreme Court had earlier set up a three-member committee to assess the feasibility of laying high-voltage underground power cables. It had also directed the Gujarat and Rajasthan governments to convert overhead electric cables into underground power cables, wherever feasible, and install bird diverters in priority areas where the birds live. It has now directed the committee to submit an updated status report on the steps to safeguard the birds.
- ENDANGERED SPECIES: The great Indian bustard, considered India’s most critically endangered bird species, is especially found in Rajasthan and Gujarat, and as per the 2021 report of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), they are on the verge of extinction with less than 249 of them alive. Endemic to India, these birds were once seen across several States in the country. Due to hunting, habitat loss, and accidents caused by windmills and overhead power lines, their numbers dwindled over the last few decades.
- RECENT DEATHS: Being hit by overhead power lines is one of the major reasons for the death of these birds today, which is why the focus is on undergrounding such lines. While the work for undergrounding power lines has started in Gujarat, that does not seem to be the situation in Rajasthan, according to reports. Bird diverters too have not been installed in priority areas despite the Supreme Court’s direction. This would explain the deaths of seven birds so far this year, which is a matter of continuing concern.
- PROJECT TIGER: The Central government had launched ‘Project Tiger on April 1, 1973 to promote the conservation of the big cat whose population had dipped alarmingly. The number of tigers in 1973 was less than 300, and according to the All India Tiger Estimation Report, that number rose to 2,967 in 2018. Project Tiger has been viewed by the government as one of the most successful conservation programmes for a single species in the world. And so, it is hoped that a similar project for this critically endangered bird species would save it from extinction.
Picture Credit : Google
