Great Indian Bustard Conservation: Habitat, Power Lines and Ecological Recovery

GS Paper III: Conservation.

Context: The release of captive-bred Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) into the wild highlights India’s conservation efforts, but the species’ critically endangered status also raises concerns about whether conservation is addressing underlying ecological threats or remaining primarily symbolic.

About the Great Indian Bustard

• Local Name: The Great Indian Bustard is locally known as Godawan and is the State Bird of Rajasthan.
• Habitat: It is closely associated with grassland and open dryland ecosystems.
• Conservation Status: The species is classified as Critically Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
• Captive Breeding: The conservation programme includes captive breeding and subsequent release of birds into suitable habitats.

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A Sharp Population Decline

• 1969: Around 1,260 individuals.
• 2000: Around 600.
• 2010: Around 155.
• Current figure cited in the source: Around 120 individuals.
  • This trajectory indicates that isolated conservation interventions have not yet reversed the underlying ecological pressures.

Historical Conservation Choices

• National Bird Debate: Ornithologist Salim Ali reportedly advocated the Great Indian Bustard as India’s national bird because national recognition could have strengthened its conservation priority.
• Peacock Selection: The Indian Board for Wildlife eventually selected the Indian Peafowl, partly because it was widespread and visually recognisable.
• Conservation Lesson: Symbolic recognition can increase public attention, but long-term species recovery ultimately depends on habitat protection and ecological management.

Major Causes of Decline

• Hunting:
  • Historical Pressure: Hunting was a major factor in the species’ decline, particularly before stronger wildlife protection measures.
  • Historical Exploitation: The source notes that the species was hunted for its meat, contributing to population decline.
• Ecological Blindness:
  • Grassland Misclassification: The source uses the term “ecological blindness” to describe the failure to recognise grasslands as valuable ecosystems.
  • Land-Use Change: Grasslands were often treated as wastelands and subsequently converted for agriculture and irrigation.
  • Habitat Loss: Such conversion directly reduced the natural habitat available to the Great Indian Bustard.
• Power-Line Collisions:
  • Infrastructure Threat: Expansion of renewable-energy infrastructure in Rajasthan has brought high-voltage transmission lines into landscapes used by the species.
  • Flight Vulnerability: The Great Indian Bustard’s large body and limited ability to detect power lines can result in fatal collisions.
  • Energy-Conservation Trade-off: The issue demonstrates the challenge of balancing renewable-energy expansion with biodiversity conservation.

Environment versus Development- The Power-Line Debate

• 2021 Supreme Court Intervention: The Supreme Court directed undergrounding of certain power lines in the Great Indian Bustard’s priority habitat.
• Developmental Concern: The Union Government and renewable-energy stakeholders argued that extensive undergrounding would substantially increase the cost of solar power infrastructure.
• 2024 Modification: The Court subsequently modified the earlier approach, limiting undergrounding requirements to critical habitats rather than applying the measure universally.

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From Symbolic to Ecological Conservation

• Species-Centric Conservation: Public attention often concentrates on highly visible flagship species and major conservation projects.
• Broader Biodiversity: The source argues that conservation should extend beyond prominent species to the wider ecological community, noting declines in other birds such as Skylark and Indian Roller.
• Ecosystem Approach: Conservation should protect habitats, food chains, ecological processes and multiple species, rather than focusing only on a single charismatic species.

Key Conservation Lesson

• Habitat First: Captive breeding and release cannot substitute for protection of natural habitats.
• Landscape-Level Planning: Conservation must account for grasslands, power infrastructure, agricultural expansion and other competing land uses.
• Development-Conservation Balance: Renewable energy and infrastructure expansion should incorporate biodiversity-sensitive planning from the design stage.
• Beyond Flagship Species: Conservation policy should address less visible but ecologically important species and habitats as well.

Way Forward

• Protect Grasslands: Recognise grasslands as valuable ecosystems rather than treating them as degraded or unused land.
• Power-Line Mitigation: Prioritise undergrounding or other scientifically appropriate mitigation measures in ecologically critical zones.
• Habitat Restoration: Restore and maintain suitable breeding and feeding habitats alongside captive-breeding programmes.
• Renewable-Energy Planning: Integrate biodiversity assessments into renewable-energy and transmission planning.
• Landscape Approach: Shift from isolated species protection towards ecosystem and landscape-level conservation.
• Monitor Wider Biodiversity: Develop systematic monitoring of other grassland birds and associated species rather than focusing exclusively on flagship conservation projects.

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Conclusion

The Great Indian Bustard illustrates that conservation success cannot be measured merely by ceremonial releases or captive-breeding numbers. A durable recovery requires protection of the species’ habitat, reduction of infrastructure-related mortality and recognition of grasslands as valuable ecosystems. The broader goal should be ecological recovery rather than symbolic conservation.

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