JAISALMER: The Great Indian Bustard (GIB) that was found dead under electricity wires at Degrai pasture land that on Wednesday has created resentment among wildlife enthusiasts.
The Supreme Court had ordered on Thursday that there will be no installation of new transmission lines in GIB habitat without approval of the special committee. It has asked power companies to install bird diverters in priority areas before the next hearing. It has also asked the special committee to formulate standards of bird diverters for uniformity within a month.
The decision was made by the Supreme Court three judge bench which included Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice AS Bopanna and Justice V Ramasubramanian. A writ petition was filed by MK Ranjit Sinh & others in 2021. The injunction, which has been imposed in the order of the court from installation of fresh overhead transmission lines, save with the approval of the committee, shall be scrupulously enforced. The committee has stated that it has received reports in regard to the ongoing installation of power lines despite the directions of the court.
The states of Gujarat and Rajasthan as well as private power producers shall ensure that there is no breach of the directions of this Court. As already noted earlier, the feasibility of and need for installation of fresh overhead transmission lines is being examined by the committee on a case to case basis and hence, applicants have sufficient remedies in the first instance to approach the committee, and thereafter move court, if there be any subsisting grievance.
The three-member committee constituted by the order of this court dated April 19, 2021 has submitted its status report dated April 20, 2022. The status report indicates that the committee received eight applications for exemption from the requirement of setting up underground transmission lines.
