Project Tiger Success: Centralized Monitoring Key to Conservation, SC Observes

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The Supreme Court has highlighted the importance of centralized monitoring in the success of Project Tiger, a conservation initiative launched in 1973 to protect India's tiger population. This observation came during a hearing on a petition related to the protection of the Great Indian Bustard (GIB), a critically endangered bird species found in Rajasthan and Gujarat. The GIB's population has been declining due to frequent collisions with overhead power transmission lines, including solar plants. The birds' unique lateral vision makes it difficult for them to change course when confronted with live wires. The Centre's Additional Solicitor General, Aishwarya Bhati, emphasized the government's commitment to conservation, citing several successful projects that have saved species on the brink of extinction. However, she noted that no centralized authority has been set up for the conservation of GIB, unlike the National Tiger Conservation Authority. Bhati referred to 'Project GIB,' a conservation effort aimed at protecting the remaining GIB population. She reported that there are 68 GIB chicks in captivity today, as per the updated affidavit filed in the matter. The Supreme Court-appointed committee has submitted its report, and the bench reserved its verdict, allowing parties to file their written submissions within a week. The court had formed the expert committee in March last year to suggest areas for underground laying of power transmission lines in priority and potential GIB habitats in Rajasthan and Gujarat. The 2024 verdict noted that the total priority area was 13,663 sq km in both states, while the total potential area was 80,680 sq km. The court had directed the Gujarat and Rajasthan governments to replace overhead electric cables with underground cables and install bird diverters in priority areas. The petition was filed by retired IAS officer M K Ranjitsinh and others, who claimed that the birds were on the verge of extinction and the top court's 2021 order had not been complied with. The Supreme Court had passed several directions to protect the birds, including the replacement of overhead cables and the installation of bird diverters.