In Brief
The Supreme Court granted interim relief in a public interest petition to protect endangered bird species—the Great Indian Bustard and Lesser Florican—from power line mortalities. The Court held that environmental conservation and species protection are integral to Article 21 rights and require an ecocentric rather than anthropocentric approach. The judgment mandates underground laying of all future low-voltage power lines in bird habitats and conversion of existing ones; high-voltage lines require case-by-case feasibility assessment. Where underground conversion is infeasible, bird diverters must be installed. The Court appointed an expert committee and directed states and utilities to implement measures within one year, allowing costs to be recovered through regulatory mechanisms and corporate social responsibility, with species protection as the overriding priority.
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