The habitat of the endangered species is being threatened by overhead transmission lines and massive arrays of solar panels mindlessly erected across government and private lands.
JAISALMER/JAIPUR : In what could be termed an apparent contradiction, the promotion of green energy in the state’s desert areas is coming at a huge environmental cost and sounding the death knell of the Great Indian Bustard (GIB). The habitat of the endangered species is being threatened by overhead transmission lines and massive arrays of solar panels mindlessly erected across government and private lands.
On Sunday, villagers started a protest again to save the habitat of GIBs. Sumer Singh, a green activist, said, “The administration has turned a blind eye and solar companies are installing panels and overhead lines in Bhimsar, Bhopa, Sawata, Rasala villages.
The forest department has given up efforts to save the bird, accorded the highest protection under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. More than five memorandums have been presented to the district collector, but work on these solar plants is going on at full swing,”
They have also sounded the alarm that this could pave the way for the iconic bird from being functionally extinct at its natural habitat. Moreover, they say that the species may migrate to Pakistan if their habitat continues to be destroyed.
Radheysham Bishnoi, who is working for GIB conservation, said, “The grassland habitat in the Cholistan desert is similar to the bird’s habitat in Rajasthan.
There have been reports in the past that the GIB had migrated to Pakistan crossing the international border. If its habitat is destroyed in Rajasthan, more will fly over to Pakistan. The possibilities of the bird returning are minimal as it can fall prey to poachers there.”
The state government is, meanwhile, making plans to produce 30,000MW of solar energy by creating solar farms and wean the state away from carbon-based energy.
The residents of the desert region have criticised the government and the department for not devising a strategy to tackle long-term consequences of such a move and enable harmonious co-existence with nature and wildlife. Green activist Parth Jagani said, “Trees are being recklessly cut to install solar plants. In the absence of policy or monitoring, the desert ecology and GIB habitat are being destroyed beyond repair.”
After the population of GIB, a tall bird with a wingspan of over two metres, declined from an estimated 1,260 in 1969 to around 150 in 2018, the Supreme Court had directed to take overhead power transmission lines in Jaisalmer district and surrounding areas underground. But, lack of cooperation between departments and lackadaisical attitude of officials have hit the effort.
The state forest and environment minister Sukhram Vishnoi had assured that the habitat will not be disturbed. “New electricity lines will not be laid near the GIB habitat area. The areas will be identified soon,” he had said.
As per a study conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), an average of 15 GIBs die every year after colliding with power lines.
Wildlife biologist and deputy professor at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University Sumit Dookia said, “The state has initiated a GIB breeding programme.
But, simultaneously, renewable energy projects are also being cleared in large numbers and commissioned in the world’s last surviving GIB area. These projects come with a huge network of high-power electricity lines. This has been pointed out as the biggest threat for the survival of GIBs in recent years.”
The state government, however, said they have identified areas where power lines are causing a problem. Energy minister BD Kalla said, “Orders have been issued to put diverters on power lines being laid for industrial development in nearby pasture lands and the work will start soon.”
International Union for Conservation of Nature member Dau Lal said, “The state government should constitute a district environment committee, headed by the collector, to save the desert ecology. Corporate funds should be collected from solar companies and utilised for habitat improvement. There should also be a dedicated fund to develop grasslands and plant trees.”
Source : economictimes
