Source: DTE
Subject: Species in News
Context: The Supreme Court, has strengthened safeguards for the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB) while revising transmission alignments under the Green Energy Corridor (GEC) in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
About Great Indian Bustard (GIB):
What it is?
- The Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) is one of the heaviest flying birds in the world and the state bird of Rajasthan.
- It is a flagship grassland species and a key indicator of ecosystem health in India’s arid and semi-arid landscapes.
Conservation status:
- IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
- Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
- CITES: Appendix I
- CMS (Bonn Convention): Listed species
- Estimated population: ~200 individuals worldwide
Habitat and distribution:
- Prefers open, flat grasslands and scrub landscapes with minimal disturbance.
- Historically spread across 11 Indian states and parts of Pakistan; now largely confined to Rajasthan and Gujarat, with small pockets in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
- Key habitats include Desert National Park and surrounding agro-grassland mosaics.
Key characteristics:
- Tall bird (~1 metre), brownish body with black crown (more prominent in males).
- Wingspan: 210–250 cm; weight: 15–18 kg.
- Ground-nesting species; females lay a single egg during monsoon.
- Highly vulnerable to overhead power lines, habitat fragmentation, vehicular collisions and free-ranging dogs.
About Green Energy Corridor (GEC):
- What it is?
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- The Green Energy Corridor is a national transmission programme to evacuate large-scale renewable energy from resource-rich regions to state and national grids.
- It is critical for integrating solar and wind power into India’s electricity system.
- Located in: Focused on renewable-rich states such as Rajasthan and Gujarat, especially desert and coastal wind–solar zones.
