- According to Rajasthan state forest department,there are 150 Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) in the Jaisalmer area of the Desert National Park (DNP) in Thar,Rajasthan.This was submitted following a directive of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
- Earlier,NGT had directed the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) to submit the report in two months on a petition filed by the Centre for Wildlife and Environment Litigation (CWEL).
- The petitioner had said that the wind power projects and transmission lines were proving to be a major hazard for the survival of the species in the desert area.
- The Great Indian Bustard or Indian bustard is a bustard found in India and the adjoining regions of Pakistan.It is found in Rajasthan,Gujarat, Maharashtra,Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in India.
- A large bird with a horizontal body and long bare legs,giving it an ostrich like appearance,this bird is among the heaviest of the flying birds.
- The bird is a critically endangered species listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List.
- These birds are protected under CITES Appendix I,Schedule 1(Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act 2002).Further,the Protected areas for Great Indian Bustard are (a)Desert National Park Sanctuary(Rajasthan) (b) Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary(Andhra Pradesh) and (c)Karera Wildlife Sanctuary(Madhya Pradesh).
