The ‘firefly bird diverter’ is an unique initiative by the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the Wildlife Conservation Society, India (WCSI) for overhead power lines in areas where Great Indian Bustard (GIB) populations are found in the wild.
- The WCSI is installing 1,848 bird diverters on high-tension wires along a 6.5km stretch in Pokhran, Rajasthan.
- The ‘firefly bird divers’ are flaps installed on power lines. They work as reflectors for bird species like the GIB.
- Birds can spot them from a distance of about 50 metres and change their path of flight to avoid collision with power lines.
- This initiative offers a safe habitat to a breeding population of great Indian bustards outside the Desert National Park (DNP) Sanctuary in Jaisalmer.
- According to a report by the MoEFCC, submitted to the National Green Tribunal in 2019, pointed out that power lines, especially high-voltage transmission lines with multiple overhead wires, are the most important current threat for GIBs in the Thar region.
- These wires are causing unsustainably high mortality in about 15% of GIB population.
About the Great Indian Bustard (GIB)
- The Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) is one of the most critically threatened species in India, with fewer than 150 birds left in the wild.
- These are large birds with unique black caps over their heads and are found in the Indian subcontinent.
- They are the heaviest flying birds in the country and are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act.
- It is listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
- It is also included in the CMS Convention (Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals) and in Appendix I of CITES.
- It is listed as a Critically Endangered species on the IUCN Red List.
- The National Wildlife Action Plan (2002-2016) has identified it as one of the species for the recovery programme under the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.
(The Hindu, Hindustan Times and WWF)
