Ahmedabad: The state government's recent decision to allow 16 more overhead power lines through the area encompassing habitat of the Great Indian bustard, a critical endangered species, has sent alarm bells ringing among wildlife lovers and environment activists.

Each line will carry 11kV power, creating huge threat to the birds, which are classified on the Red List of IUCN as critically endangered.

DeveshGadhavi, a member of IUCN and also the local Corbett Foundation wants the power to be transmitted through underground lines without causing further threat to the species.

"The government should act now, or else it would be too late," said Gadhavi.

"We have written to chief minister Vijay Rupani and have requested that bird diverters be installed on the power lines that have been erected, and that all future power lines in this area should be underground," Gadhavi said.

Gadhavi, and the foundation, will also write to Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change, and the National Board for Wildlife, to ensure that the no new overhead high-tension lines come up in areas within the flying range of Great Indian bustards.

The wildlife activist said that recently, on May 13, a Great Indian bustard had died after colliding with high-tension wires in Kanoi village, Rajasthan.

"GIB habitats in Gujarat have become surrounded by a network of overhead power lines and pylons increasing the chance of local extinction of the species," Gadhavi said.

"When large numbers of flamingos died due to collision with power lines in Khadir region of Kutch, the power line was moved underground. GIBs, too, are facing the same threat," added the wildlife activist. "We have decided to take the issue up at the highest level and write to the MoEFCC to lay new lines underground and ensure that bird reflectors are installed on existing overhead power lines," said Gadhavi.

"There are only 20-odd Great Indian bustards left in the area," added Gadhavi.

There are already 220 kV overhead lines through the range of the Great Indian bustard in Gujarat, and they have 13 cables making it difficult for the bird to fly through, said Gadhavi.

"To provide a suitable and undisturbed breeding ground to the species, the forest department has taken all measures and developed safe breeding enclosures. As a result of their efforts, three GIB chicks survived in 2016," said the activist.

"But the installation of pylons and other developmental activities by the Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation Limited (Getco) in areas adjacent to protected forest areas are threatening the birds," Gadhavi added.

In 2011, the state forest department had issued an unprecedented order to a power transmission company asking it to run cables underground, after 500 flamingoes were fried by high tension wires in Khadir region of Kutch. The department should make this order a norm mandating that all high tension power cables passing through bird sanctuaries and nearby areas, are laid underground, especially when it concerns survival of birds like the Great Indian Bustard which is on the verge of extinction.