Jaipur: The Supreme Court has directed the chief secretaries of
Rajasthan and
Gujarat to assess the total length of power transmission lines and the number of bird diverters required after hearing a PIL to protect the Great Indian Bustard (GIB). The two states have been given six weeks to file status reports.
The petitioners had pointed out overhead power lines as the biggest threat to the survival of GIBs as the critically endangered birds were getting killed after colliding with them. They also submitted data on the deaths of birds in priority areas.
The court asked the attorney general if it was possible to have a safety mechanism such as the one for Project Tiger for protecting GIBs, and told him to consult the environment ministry in this regard. TNN