Context:

Recently, the Supreme Court of India delivered a landmark judgment aimed at strengthening the legal and ecological safeguards for the Great Indian Bustard (GIB), while simultaneously restructuring the planning framework for the Green Energy Corridor (GEC) in the renewable-energy-rich states of Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Why the Case Matters?

• • The Great Indian Bustard is among the world’s most endangered bird species, with only a few dozen individuals remaining in the wild, largely confined to Rajasthan and Gujarat.
  • Its population has declined sharply due to collisions with overhead power lines, habitat fragmentation, and other anthropogenic pressures.
  • The Green Energy Corridor (GEC) is a flagship national infrastructure project designed to establish dedicated transmission lines and substations for evacuating and integrating large-scale renewable energy—particularly solar and wind—into the national grid. It is central to India’s clean energy ambitions, including the target of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030.
  • The GEC comprises both Intra-State (within states) and Inter-State (between states) transmission systems.
  • A conflict arose because several proposed overhead transmission lines traversed critical GIB habitats, bringing biodiversity conservation into direct tension with renewable energy expansion.

Key Directives of the Supreme Court:

• • Conservation Zones and ‘No-Go’ Areas
    • The Court reaffirmed that protection of the GIB is non-negotiable and finalised Revised Priority Conservation Areas, covering:
      • 14,013 sq km in Rajasthan
      • 740 sq km in Gujarat
    • These zones are now legally binding and must be factored into all future infrastructure and energy-planning decisions.
  • Restrictions on Renewable Infrastructure in Priority Areas
    • No new overhead power transmission lines are permitted within these zones, except through specially designated power corridors.
    • Wind and solar projects exceeding 2 MW capacity are prohibited within priority areas to minimise additional mortality risks to the species.
  • Reorientation of the Green Energy Corridor
    • The GEC must now be routed through dedicated, narrow corridors, avoiding core GIB habitats.
    • For instance, corridors of up to 5 km width south of the Desert National Park in Rajasthan have been identified.
    • Several high-capacity transmission lines may require rerouting, undergrounding, or phased delays, posing operational and financial challenges.
  • Deadlines and Compliance
    • Existing high-voltage transmission lines within priority conservation areas must be undergrounded or rerouted within two years.
    • Certain transmission assets in Gujarat have been granted extended compliance timelines, up to 2028.
  • Technological and Regulatory Balancing
    • The Court declined to mandate universal undergrounding of all power lines, citing technical, geological, and financial constraints.
    • Limited exemptions have been allowed for small distribution lines near settlements, where undergrounding may be impractical.

Significance:

• • New planning paradigm: Integrates biodiversity conservation directly into energy and infrastructure planning.
  • Regulatory certainty: Provides clarity to developers while imposing firm ecological limits in sensitive landscapes.
  • Conservation priority: Reinforces the constitutional duty to protect endangered species.
  • Climate–biodiversity trade-off: Highlights the complex challenge of pursuing climate mitigation without undermining wildlife conservation.

Conclusion:

The Supreme Court’s 2025 judgment marks a decisive shift in India’s renewable energy governance framework. While it avoids a complete derailment of the Green Energy Corridor, it firmly embeds ecological red lines into infrastructure planning. The ruling underscores a critical principle: India’s energy transition must advance not at the expense of biodiversity, but through carefully negotiated coexistence between development and conservation.