Install Bird Diverters In Power Lines By July 20 : Supreme Court Directs Gujarat & Rajasthan To Protect Great Indian Bustard

The Top Court also directed the States of Rajasthan and Gujarat as well as all power producers in the private domain to ensure that within the priority areas, a comprehensive exercise is completed within a period of three weeks to assess (i) the total length of transmission lines; and (ii) the estimated number of bird diverters required for the purpose.

"The installation of bird diverters at least in the priority areas of the States of Gujarat and Rajasthan must be taken up with the utmost expedition. The installation of bird diverters in the priority areas shall be completed before 20 July 2022, when these proceedings shall be taken up for further direction. This direction shall govern all State owned as well as private power producers," the bench said in its order.

The Court also directed the High Level Committee constituted by it last year - to examine the feasibility of under-grounding overhead power lines- to formulate the standards of quality required for the bird divertors.

The bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian also directed

The directions were rendered by the bench while considering two applications filed in the matter including an application by the Union of India seeking modification of the judgement dated 19th April 2021 and an application filed by the petitioner seeking directions to Committee to file a status report.

On April 4, 2022 the Top Court had directed the High Level Committee constituted to submit a status report in three weeks.

The status report indicated that the Committee had received eight applications for exemption from the requirement of setting up underground transmission lines.

In the Status Report the Committee had tabulated the status of the applications wherein out of the eight applications which the Committee had approved two applications on the receipt of CEA's technical report permitting the laying of overhead transmission lines subject to the installation of bird diverters. The remaining six applications were at various stages of scrutiny upon which a decision was expected to be taken by the Committee.

As per the Status Report the Committee had also obtained a technical report from the Central Electricity Authority1 on the feasibility of undergrounding 400 kV and 765 kV transmission lines and sought a technical report from CEA on under grounding 66 kV and 220 kV transmission lines of which the reply was awaited.

Case Title: MK Ranjitsinh & Ors v UOI & Ors| WP (Civil) 838/2019

Click here to read/download the order