New Delhi : In a significant ruling with long-term implications for wildlife conservation and clean energy development, the Supreme Court of India has disposed of a batch of writ petitions and a civil appeal relating to the protection of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard and the regulation of renewable energy projects in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
The judgment in M.K. Ranjitsinh & Others v. Union of India & Others accepts most of the recommendations made by a specially constituted Expert Committee, seeking to strike a careful balance between species conservation and India’s broader environmental and sustainable development objectives.
The Court approved the rationalisation of protected zones for the Great Indian Bustard, revising the priority areas identified earlier. It directed that the revised priority area in Rajasthan shall be 14,013 square kilometres, while Gujarat’s revised priority area shall be limited to 740 square kilometres. The Bench noted that conservation decisions must adopt a holistic approach, ensuring that neither biodiversity protection nor environmental sustainability is compromised at the cost of the other.
A central concern before the Court was the threat posed by overhead power transmission lines, which have been identified as a major cause of mortality for the Great Indian Bustard. Accepting the Expert Committee’s recommendations, the Court ordered the immediate undergrounding of 80 kilometres of 33 kV power lines in Rajasthan. It further directed that all mitigation measures, including undergrounding and rerouting of power lines as suggested by the Committee, must commence without delay and be completed within two years from the date of the order.
For lower-capacity infrastructure, the Court permitted mitigation through technological solutions. It held that all power lines of 11 kV and below may be addressed using insulated cables laid in a horizontal configuration or through insulated bundled cables.
The judgment also places firm restrictions on future infrastructure within the revised priority areas. It ruled that no new overhead power lines, except those passing through dedicated power corridors and excluding 11 kV and below capacities, shall be permitted. The Court further prohibited the installation of new wind turbines and barred the setting up of new solar parks or solar plants exceeding 2 MW capacity, as well as the expansion of existing solar parks, within these priority zones.
Emphasising the role of corporate entities in environmental protection, the Court observed that corporate social responsibility must necessarily include environmental responsibility. It clarified that expenditure on environmental protection is not a matter of charity but a constitutional duty flowing from fundamental obligations under the Constitution.
On the issue of Bird Flight Diverters, the Court adopted a cautious approach. Expressing concerns about their effectiveness and long-term maintenance, it declined to mandate their immediate deployment. Instead, it directed the Inspector General, Wildlife Division, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, to ensure that further scientific studies are conducted and appropriate action is taken based on their findings.
The Inspector General, Wildlife Division, has been designated as the duty-bearer responsible for supervising and implementing the approved conservation and mitigation measures within the stipulated two-year timeframe.
The decision was rendered in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 838 of 2019, Civil Appeal No. 3570 of 2022, and Writ Petition (Civil) No. 549 of 2025.
