The Supreme Court of India issued a landmark order in December 2025, significantly tightening safeguards for the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB) while simultaneously redrawing the green energy transmission corridor in Rajasthan. The court revised the Priority Areas for GIB conservation to 14,013 square kilometres in Rajasthan, recognising the bird's restricted habitat and dwindling population of fewer than 150 individuals.\n\nIn a major infrastructure directive, the Supreme Court ordered that approximately 80 kilometres of 33kV power transmission lines falling within GIB habitat zones must be undergrounded to reduce bird mortality caused by overhead wire collisions — one of the primary threats to the species. This technical measure addresses the acute danger that overhead transmission lines pose to low-flying bustards.\n\nThe court further directed the establishment of a single dedicated power transmission corridor to the south of the Desert National Park, ensuring that future renewable energy evacuation infrastructure avoids the core GIB habitat. This redrawn corridor balances India's green energy ambitions — particularly in Rajasthan, which accounts for 27% of the country's installed solar capacity — with the constitutional obligation to protect wildlife.\n\nSignificantly, the court invoked Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a constitutional environmental duty, directing energy companies operating in the region to fund GIB conservation measures. This framing elevates CSR from a voluntary corporate practice to a legally enforceable obligation in environmental protection contexts, setting an important precedent for wildlife conservation financing in India.\n\nThe GIB, the state bird of Rajasthan, is classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN. Its population has declined from about 1,260 in the 1960s to fewer than 150 today, largely due to habitat loss, hunting, and power line collisions.