Centre Recommends Expanding Priority Zones for Great Indian Bustards in Rajasthan

Quick Summary

• The Center informed the Supreme Court about adding an 850 sq km area to priority conservation zones for Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) in Rajasthan on August 7, 2025.
• GIBs are critically endangered, mainly found in Rajasthan and Gujarat; their decline is largely due to collisions wiht overhead power lines near their habitats.
• Their lateral vision limits their ability to avoid live wires during flight, requiring urgent conservation efforts.
• In March 2024, the Supreme Court formed an expert committee to reccommend areas for laying underground power lines in critical GIB habitats.
• Two reports from this committee suggest retaining the original priority conservation zone of 13,000 sq km in Rajasthan and adding a further priority zone of 850 sq km.
• The total priority areas identified include:

– Rajasthan: Original (13,163 sq km) + New addition (850 sq km).
– Gujarat: Original area is much smaller – onyl 500 sq km identified as a high-priority zone.
– Potential and additional areas exceed tens of thousands of square kilometers across both states.

• Hearings highlighted new suggestions such as creating unified “power corridors” instead of scattered transmission setups to mitigate risks for birds like GIBs.
• Senior advocate Shyam Divan emphasized refining recommendations but supported major proposals like focused corridor planning for power lines.

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!The Hindu Article on Great Indian Bustard Protection