MK Ranjitsinh vs Union of India
2024 INSC 280
Case Summary
[Right to Life]
[Wildlife Protection Act]
Facts
This case concerned the conservation of the endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB), with specific focus on the threat posed by overhead power lines across its habitats in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Power lines in these regions were responsible for numerous GIB deaths, as the birds collided with the wires due to their limited frontal vision. The petitioners argued that these lines posed a severe threat to the already dwindling GIB population.
Issues
1. Whether the overhead power lines in the GIB habitat violate the right to life of this endangered species.
2. To what extent the infrastructure supporting renewable energy could be modified to protect wildlife without compromising on India’s climate change commitments.
Relevant Legal Provisions
- Article 21 of the Indian Constitution (Right to Life), as interpreted to include environmental protection.
- Articles 48A and 51A(g), mandating the State and citizens to protect wildlife and the environment.
- Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
- International obligations under climate change treaties encouraging clean energy while protecting biodiversity.
Judgment
The Supreme Court, in April 2021, mandated the installation of bird diverters on existing power lines in priority GIB areas, with a directive to consider converting overhead power lines to underground lines where feasible. The Court highlighted the need to balance wildlife conservation with sustainable development, stating that failure to protect the GIB would violate environmental principles embedded in Indian law. In 2024, to address practical issues and concerns from the renewable energy sector, the Court formed a technical committee to explore sustainable solutions reconciling conservation with energy needs.
Rishita Vanjani
2nd year
Amity University Rajasthan
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