Underground Power Lines, Ban on New Wind Turbines to Protect Great Indian Bustard: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has accepted a set of expert-recommended measures aimed at protecting the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard and the Lesser Florican.

The Court directed the Union government to implement key conservation steps, including undergrounding and rerouting overhead power transmission lines in identified habitats across Rajasthan and Gujarat within two years.

It also approved restrictions on new wind turbine installations in ecologically sensitive areas to prevent bird fatalities.

Noting that power infrastructure and habitat degradation pose serious threats, the Court stressed the need for urgent, coordinated action to avert the extinction of these species.

[MK Ranjitsinh v. UOI]