WCA March 2018

India Insight

India

Insight

Wildlife protection orders

juvenile flew into one of the several Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation Limited’s (GETCO) high tension power lines, passing through the area,” an official said. After the incident GETCO, and several other private power transmission companies, expressed their willingness to lay underground cables. Officials are urging the State Board for Wildlife to formulate a policy that, within the sanctuary and bird-populated areas, power companies will have to lay cables under the ground or will not be given permission to proceed. Gujarat State Board for Wildlife – India Website : https://forests.gujarat.gov.in/state-board-wl.htm Tell us YOUR news. . . To submit news for the India Insight section free of charge, email david@intras.co.uk or call direct on +44 1926 334137.

GUJARAT’S State Board for Wildlife (SBWL) has directed all power transmission companies with high voltage wires passing through the Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary (GIB) area to lay their cables underground. The problem of electrocution of the bustards was highlighted recently when a bustard, previously tagged by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), was found electrocuted. Other than moving cables underground, the SBWL also took decisions such as giving revenue rights to 14 villages, including three situated within the sanctuary, and increasing the charge for guides. The SBWL also proposed that power companies with cables passing through the Kutch Bustard Sanctuary, and in areas frequented by birds, should also put their cables underground. This is the second such order by the government. The government has previously asked power companies in Khadir to lay underground cables after hundreds of flamingoes were electrocuted in flight. The threat to bustards from electrocution came to light after a satellite-tagged bird was electrocuted. “The

Bigstockphoto.com “Taj Mahal sunset silhouette in Agra, India” Photographer: David Evison

45

www.read-wca.com w.read-wca.com

Wire & Cable ASIA – November/December 2016 Wire & Cable ASIA – Mar h/April 8 Wire & Cable ASIA – March/April 2018