Great Indian Bustard
Why in news?
The Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change, along with the Wildlife Conservation Society, India, has come up with a unique initiative — a “firefly bird diverter” for overhead power lines in areas where Great Indian Bustard (GIB) populations are found in the wild. The GIB is one of the most critically threatened species in India, with fewer than 150 birds left in the wild.
About Great Indian Bustard:
- The GIB is one of the heaviest flying bird’s endemics to the Indian subcontinent.
- They are primarily terrestrial birds.
- The GIB lays one egg every 1-2 years and the success rate of these eggs is 60-70 percent.
- However, this rate has been reduced to 40-50 % due to predators like fox and dogs.
- Today less than 150 individuals are left in India.
- These birds are often found associated in the same habitat as blackbuck.
- They have poor frontal vision.
- Maximum numbers of GIBs are found in Jaisalmer and the Indian Army controlled field firing range near Pokhran, Rajasthan.
- Other areas where they are found in less than 10 in number are Kutch district in Gujarat, Nagpur and Solapur districts in Maharashtra, Bellary and Koppal districts in Karnataka and Kurnool district and Amravati in Andhra Pradesh.
Protected areas:
- Desert National Park Sanctuary in Rajasthan
- Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary in Andhra Pradesh
- Karera Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh
Threats:
- Collision/electrocution with power transmission lines
- Irrigation and farming technology
- Mining
- Wind turbines and Solar farms (photovoltaic power stations)
- Plantation of exotic shrub/tree species in deserts and grasslands in the name of afforestation
The government has recently released Rs 33 crore to a project, titled ‘Habitat Improvement and Conservation Breeding of Great Indian Bustard-An Integrated Approach’, for five years from the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) for conservation and breeding of the GIB.
Great Indian bustard sanctuary
Great Indian bustard population
Great Indian bustard project
Great Indian bustard IUCN
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“उठो, जागो और तब तक मत रुको जब तक लक्ष्य की प्राप्ति ना हो जाये”
Swami Vivekananda
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