The Central government informed that there were no Great Indian Bustards (GIB) in Kutch Bustard Sanctuary (KBS) in Gujarat.
KBS near Naliya in Kutch district’s Abdasa block is a tiny sanctuary notified in 1992 and spread over just 2 sq km.
But its eco-sensitive zone spread over 220 sq km covers most of present-day core GIB habitat.
The Great Indian Bustards are the largest among the four bustard species in India.
The other three being MacQueen’s bustard, lesser florican and the Bengal florican.
Overhead power transmission lines are the biggest threat to the GIBs.
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In April 2021, the Supreme Court ordered that all overhead power transmission lines in core and potential GIB habitats in Rajasthan and Gujarat should be undergrounded.
The SC also formed a three-member committee to help power companies comply with the order.