Lok Sabha Question No. 1952 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-29
Subject: Protection of Eagle Species
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Ranjanben Dhananjay Bhatt

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1952

TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.11.2019

## Protection of Eagle Species

## 1952.   SHRIMATI RANJANBEN DHANANJAY BHATT:

Will  the  Minister  of  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND  CLIMATE  CHANGE  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to protect the three different species of eagles;
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)

- (a) and (b) Following two species of Eagle have been listed in Schedule-I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, thereby, according them highest degree of legal protection from hunting:
- i. Osprey or fish eating eagle ( Pandion haliaetus )
- ii. White bellied sea eagle ( Haliaetus leucogaster )
- (c ) Steps taken by the Government for protection of birds including eagle species in the country includes:
- i. Legal  protection  has  been  provided  against  hunting  and  commercial exploitation  under  the  provisions  of  the  Wild  Life  (Protection)  Act, 1972.
- ii. Protected Areas, viz, National Parks, Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves  and  Community  Reserves  have  been  created  all  over  the country as per the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 to provide better protection to Wildlife including eagles.
- iii. Financial  and  technical  assistance  is  being  extended  to  the  State
- Governments  under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes, viz, 'Development  of  Wildlife  Habitats'', 'Project Tiger' and  'Project Elephant' for providing better protection and conservation of wildlife.
- iv. Ministry  issued  an  advisory  to  all  States/  Union  Territories  Chief Wildlife Warden, Principal Secretaries of Forest Departments, Ministry of Power, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Central Electricity Authority, Power Grid Corporation of India and States/ Union Territory Electricity Boards for implementation of recommendations of the Task Force constituted by the Ministry for suggesting Eco-friendly Measures to  Mitigate  Impacts  of  Power  Transmission  lines  and  other  Power Transmission Infrastructure on Wildlife. A copy of recommendation of the Task Force is enclosed at Annexure 1.

***

## ANNEXURE-1

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TP  PART  (b)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  1952  REGARDING  'PROTECTION  OF  EAGLE SPECIES' BY SHRIMATI RANJANBEN DHANANJAY BHATT DUE FOR REPLY ON 29.11.2019

Recommendations  of  the  Task  Force  constituted  by  Ministry  for  suggesting  Eco-friendly measures to Mitigate Impacts of Power Lines and other Power Transmission Infrastructures on Wildlife:

- i. Immediate rectification of sagging transmission lines and cable of existing transmission line in the protected areas by the Electricity Supply Utilities, PGCIL, CEA, and SEBs.
- ii. Joint  inspection  of  every  transmission  /  distribution  line  passing  through  the  protected areas or passing through the vicinity of protected Areas (which are frequented by wild animals)  by  officials  of  Electricity  Department  and  Forest  Department  would  be undertaken regularly, at least thrice a year once before onset of monsoon and once after monsoon so as to identify potential problem stretches.
- iii. Forest  Department  shall  inform  the  concerned  power  supplier  /  line  owner  of  the  area about  every  electrical  accident  occurring  in  and  around  forest  area  involving  human/ animals  which  in  turn  shall  submit  an  accident  report  in  Form  A  (Form  for  reporting electrical accidents) as given in the Intimation of Electrical Accidents (Form and Time of Service of Notice) Rules, 2005 duly completed in all respects to Electrical Inspector of the Appropriate Government. All electrical accidents should be investigated by Electrical Inspector and suitable measures should be taken as proposed in the investigation report.
- iv. To prevent death of animals in the forest areas due to electrocution by the distribution lines, the distribution companies shall preferably use ABC (aerial bunched cables) or underground cable .  In  case  of  the  overhead  lines,  the  clearance  above  ground  of  the lower conductor of 11 kV / 33 kV overhead lines should be as per CEA Regulations.
- v. Rule 59(3) of the CEA (Measures Relating to Safety and Electric Supply) Regulations, 2010 (as Amended) would amend as follows:

In  case  of  laying  of  transmission  lines  of  33  kV  and  below  passing  through  habitated urban  or  rural  areas,  any  forest  area  other  than  National  Parks,  Wildlife  Sanctuaries, Conservation  Reserve,  Community  Reserve,  Eco-Sensitive  Zones  around  the  protected areas and Wildlife Corridors, underground cable or aerial bunched cables or covered conductors shall be used.

Further new Section would be added as Rule 59(4) reading as below:

In case of as in case of laying of transmission lines of 33 kV and below passing through protected areas (National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserve, Community Reserve), Eco-Sensitive  Zones  around  the  protected areas and  wildlife corridors, underground cable should be used. In cases where these areas are aquatic and marine in nature, aerial bunched cables or covered conductors would be used as alternative to the underground cables.

- vi. Right of Way (RoW) for 11kV transmission lines can be optimized keeping in view the corridor requirement for the future by adopting suitable alternative of multi-circuit / or multi-voltage lines. Conductors of appropriate size shall be selected considering power flow  requirements  and  other  system  considerations  in  consultation  with  neighboring transmission and generation utilities. For transmission lines of 400 kV or higher voltage class, bundle conductors (minimum two conductors per phase for 400 kV AC and four conductors  per  phase  for  500  kV  DC  and  765  kV  AC  shall  be  used  for  satisfactory performance of transmission lines from corona and interference aspects. The conductors may be of type aluminum conductor steel  reinforced,  all  aluminum  alloy  conductor or other  new  technology  conductors  depending  on  system  requirements  and  should  avoid base conductors.
- vii. The existing transmission lines should be replaced retrospectively with insulated cables / or  underground cables on priority basis by Electricity Supply Units, Power Distribution Companies and Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd.
- viii. A sub-committee  consisting  of  one  representative  from  CEA,  DIG(FC)  and  DIG(WL) would examine Right of Way (RoW) requirements for laying of transmission lines in the protected areas.
- ix. Early  planning  and  rigorous  Environmental  Impact  Assessment  are  two  principal requirements  for  reducing  wildlife  mortality  due  to  transmission  lines,  as  well  as minimizing the risks of costly power outages. A nationwide strategy should be developed and  supported  to  undertake  the  long-term  planning  of  electricity  grid  networks  as  a priority. Planning should include the use of state-of-the-art wildlife protection equipment, and burying low to medium-voltage transmission lines below ground where feasible.

Burying  transmission  lines  effectively  removes  the  problem  of  wildlife  electrocution. Environmental  Impact  Assessment  is  an  invaluable  tool  to  inform  decision  making, helping to ensure that transmission lines are appropriately routed and designed.

- x. The  routing  of  transmission  lines  and  shifting  transmission  structures  should  be  done collaboratively, involving the electricity supplier company, government bodies,

conservation agencies, land owners and other interested and affected parties, culminating in one or more memoranda of understanding.

- xi. There is a need to set up reinforced electric poles fitted with spikes to prevent elephants rubbing against them and lifting of sagging overhead power lines. This is yet to be done in  many  protected  areas.  Also  insulate  overhead  wires  across  all  elephant  habitat  and elephant movement zones and remove / dismantle all defunct solar powered fences.