One more Great Indian Bustard dies at Jaisalmer after being hit by a power transmission line

A Great Indian Bustard, India’s most critically endangered bird, was killed at Jaisalmer on Monday after being hit by a power transmission line, making it the second such loss in the same location in the last two years.

“In September 2020, a Great Indian Bustard died in Degrai Mata Oran (a type of sacred grove) near Devikot, Jaisalmer after colliding with the transmission lines. Another bustard lost its life in the same Oran this morning. Transmission lines must go under the ground,” Bombay Natural History Society said in a social media post.

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Earlier this year, the Union Environment Ministry informed the Parliament that there were around 150 Great Indian Bustards left across the country which included 128 birds in Rajasthan and less than 10 birds each in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. In addition, 16 chicks are being reared at a conservation centre.

Since these birds lack frontal vision, they can’t detect the power lines ahead and manoeuvre around them within close distances because of their weight. The power transmission lines, therefore, pose the biggest threat to the species. Stray dogs are another big threat.

According to a Wildlife Institute of India estimate, each year 18 birds die due to collision with power lines, making power lines the most significant current threat to the last few remaining Great Indian Bustards.

In April 2021, the Supreme Court issued an order to underground the power lines for the protection of the GIB in Gujarat (including Kutch) and Rajasthan and directed for installation of bird diverters on all power lines.

The Centre in December, petitioned the apex court seeking a modification of the order, arguing that such a step would adversely impact India’s renewable energy targets.

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In April, 2022, at the behest of the Supreme Court, a three-member committee was formed to study the feasibility of under-grounding of power transmission cables in the context of the Great Indian Bustard conservation. While it is not known whether the panel has submitted its report, the top court is likely to take up the issue later this week.

The government-backed GIB conservation breeding is ongoing since 2019 and has already resulted in a captive founder stock of 26 birds (16 individuals of 1-3 years age, nine individuals of the current season which are 1-6 months age and one wild-rescued) from 31 wild-collected eggs between 2019-22 from the Desert National Park, Salkha and Pokhran regions of Jaisalmer.

These birds are housed in a conservation breeding centre at Sam (functional since June 2019 with 18 birds) and a larger facility at Ramdevra (operationalized since August 2022 with 8 birds).