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					</table><p>The Central Electricity Authority (<a href="https://cea.nic.in/?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CEA</a>) has proposed that power transmission lines of up to 33 kV voltage level passing through the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) area should be underground lines.</p>
<p>Power transmission lines of above 33 kV voltage level passing through the GIB area should be overhead lines installed with bird flight diverters, according to the draft ‘Construction of Electric Lines in the GIB Area Regulations, 2023.’</p>
<p>The regulations will apply to generating companies, transmission licensees, distribution licensees, central transmission utility, and state transmission utilities that own or operate or maintains electric lines in the GIB area.</p>
<p>Stakeholders can submit their suggestions by March 3, 2023.</p>
<p>Last December, the Supreme Court <u><a href="https://mercomindia.com/supreme-court-states-length-overhead-power-lines-gib-habitat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a></u> that the installation of bird diverters in the habitat of the endangered GIB, as proposed by the special committee appointed by it, was not yet complete and ordered Rajasthan and Gujarat to assess the total length of overhead transmission lines in the region.</p>
<p>The proposed regulations state that with respect to the overhead lines with single conductor per phase passing through the GIB area, bird diverters should be placed on each phase conductor, earthwire, and optical ground wire.</p>
<p>Further, with respect to overhead lines with bundled conductors having two or more conductors per phase, bird flight diverters should be placed on each earth wire and optical ground wire.</p>
<p>Bird flight diverters should be placed at an interval of 10 meters in the central 80% span of the overhead line.</p>
<p>The technical specifications for bird flight diverters will be issued by CEA separately.</p>
<p>The Supreme Court is hearing a public interest litigation seeking to protect the endangered bird species since  2019 from the power transmission lines being laid for solar projects.</p>
<p>Last April, the top court had <a href="https://mercomindia.com/overhead-powerlines-underground-great-indian-bustard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">directed</a> Gujarat and Rajasthan to install diverters in the GIB habitat and underground the overhead cables wherever feasible.</p>
<p>Later, the special committee constituted by the court had <a href="https://mercomindia.com/apex-court-specifications-bird-diverters-great-indian-bustard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">specified</a> the technical standards for bird flight diverters to be installed.</p>


CEA Proposes Underground Transmission Lines for Endangered Bird Area


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					</table><p>The <a href="https://main.sci.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Supreme Court</a> noted that the installation of bird diverters in the habitat of the endangered Great Indian Bustard, as proposed by the special committee appointed by it, is not yet complete and ordered Rajasthan and Gujarat to assess the total length of overhead transmission lines in the region.</p>
<p>The apex court&#8217;s observation and direction came during the hearing on the public interest litigation (PIL) that was filed in 2019. The PIL had sought the Court&#8217;s intervention in saving the endangered bird species from the transmission lines being laid for solar projects.</p>
<p>The Supreme court further asked the Attorney General to seek instructions from the Central government on whether it is possible to conserve the GIB region by establishing a &#8216;Project Great Indian Bustard&#8217; along the lines of &#8216;Project Tiger,&#8217; LiveLaw, an online portal that reports on the legal matters, reported.</p>
<p>The Court has now asked the committee to submit an updated status report by the next hearing while ordering the two states to estimate the number of bird diverters in the region&#8217;s priority areas.</p>
<p>Last April, the top Court <a href="https://mercomindia.com/overhead-powerlines-underground-great-indian-bustard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">directed</a> Gujarat and Rajasthan to install diverters in the GIB habitat and underground the overhead cables wherever feasible.</p>
<p>The Court was also informed that while Gujarat has started the process of <a href="https://mercomindia.com/solar-wind-developers-undergrounding-power-lines/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shifting</a> overhead transmission lines underground, Rajasthan was yet to undertake the exercise.</p>
<p><strong>The Court&#8217;s observation</strong></p>
<p>&#8220;Once the updated status report of the committee is submitted, a further view can be taken. An updated status report shall be filed within the next four weeks. All bird diverters shall comply with the quality required by the committee appointed by this Court, [sic],&#8221; the Court said.</p>
<p>In February 2019, the Standing Committee of the National Board of Wildlife <a href="https://mercomindia.com/mnre-wind-developers-safety-bustard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggested</a> guidelines for installing bird diverters on the conductors of the power transmission lines.</p>


Supreme Court Directs States to Assess Length of Overhead Power Lines in GIB Habitat


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					</table><p>The Technical Expert Committee constituted to lay down the techno-economic norms on undergrounding of power lines has determined that undergrounding of transmission lines of 66 kV and above voltage levels for evacuation of bulk power is not technically feasible.</p>
<p>The committee said that power evacuation lines should be constructed above the ground as any outage in the underground line would require a much longer time for restoration than overhead lines and result in substantial generation losses.</p>
<p>The committee was constituted under Member (Power System), Central Electricity Authority (<a href="https://mercomindia.com/overhead-powerlines-underground-great-indian-bustard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CEA</a>), with representatives of the Central Transmission Utility of India and the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change.</p>
<p>However, in the case of 33 kV and below rated lines, which are used for transferring lower volumes of power over shorter distances, undergrounding of transmission lines is technically feasible and can be adopted, keeping in view local circumstances.</p>
<p>The committee was constituted following a directive of the Supreme Court, which is hearing a case relating to the endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB). A petition had been filed seeking underground transmission lines as the birds were colliding with them and dying.</p>
<p>The fate of several renewable energy projects in the GIB habitat has been <a href="https://mercomindia.com/overhead-powerlines-underground-great-indian-bustard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hanging</a> in the balance as developers are worried about the costs of dismantling the existing transmission lines and taking them underground.</p>
<p>The committee also issued guidelines for installing bird diverters. Regarding extra-high voltage transmission lines with two or more conductors per phase, the diverters can be placed on the earth or optical ground wires. They can be placed on either the phase conductors, earth wires, or optical ground wires on transmission lines with a single conductor in each phase.</p>
<p>The bird diverters must be placed on the central 80% span of the line at 10-meter intervals.</p>
<p>The committee had <a href="https://mercomindia.com/overhead-powerlines-underground-great-indian-bustard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recommended</a> the size, color, operating temperature, grip strength, and other construction features of the bird diverters.</p>
<p>According to the new notification, the diverters must be dynamic and have a warning disc (2-D or 3-D design) and associated clamps and connectors. The utilities should install a mixture of LED and non-LED diverters on their powerlines, where at least one in five (20% of total) diverters on a line should be LED type. The diverters should be designed for an effective life period of 15 years.</p>
<p>The total weight of the diverter should not be more than 800 grams, and the weight of the LED-type bird flight diverters should not exceed 1,000 gm.</p>
<p>The technical committee said the warning disc should be suitable for hanging on the conductor through clamps and hardware. The clamp for holding the conductor should be spring type, made of UV-stabilized engineered composite plastic (polymer) or metal or carbon fiber, and suitable for live line installation by hot stick or drone.</p>
<p>The Supreme Court had earlier <a href="https://mercomindia.com/overhead-powerlines-underground-great-indian-bustard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruled</a> that the overhead transmission lines should be shifted underground to protect the endangered bird species. In April 2021, it directed the authorities to complete moving the transmission lines underground within a year. Until then, diverters were to be hung from the existing powerlines. During the hearing, the apex court said that installing bird diverters in the bird habitats in Gujarat and Rajasthan should be completed before July 20, 2022.</p>


GIB Issue: Undergrounding 66 kV Transmission Lines for Power Evacuation Not Feasible


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					</table><p>The special committee constituted by the <a href="https://main.sci.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Supreme Court</a>, after consultations with the Central Electricity Authority (<a href="https://cea.nic.in/?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CEA</a>), has specified the technical standards for bird flight diverters to be installed in the priority areas associated with the endangered Great Indian Bustard and Lesser Florican bird species.</p>
<p>The committee has recommended that the size, color, operating temperature, grip strength, and other construction features of the bird diverters, installation, and testing are essential parameters that must be standardized.</p>
<p>The Supreme Court had earlier <a href="https://mercomindia.com/overhead-powerlines-underground-great-indian-bustard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruled</a> that the overhead transmission lines should be shifted underground to protect the endangered bird species. In April 2021, it directed the authorities to complete moving the transmission lines underground within a year. Until then, diverters were to be hung from the existing powerlines. During the course of the hearing, the apex court <a href="https://mercomindia.com/power-generators-must-add-diverters-to-save-great-indian-bustard/">said</a> that the installation of bird diverters in the bird habitats in Gujarat and Rajasthan should be completed before July 20, 2022.</p>
<p>According to the new notification, the diverters must be dynamic and have a warning disc (2-D or 3-D in design) and associated clamps and connectors. The utilities should install a mixture of LED and non-LED diverters on their powerlines, where at least one in five (20% of total) diverters on a line should be LED type. The diverters should be designed for an effective life period of 15 years.</p>
<p>The total weight of the diverter should not be more than 800 grams (gm), and the weight of the LED-type bird flight diverters should not weigh more than 1,000 gm.</p>
<p>The committee said the warning disc should be suitable for hanging on the conductor through clamps and hardware. The clamp for holding the conductor should be spring type, made of UV-stabilized engineered composite plastic (polymer) or metal or carbon fiber, and suitable for live line installation by hot stick or drone.</p>
<p>The utility or power agency must get reports for the following tests conducted by the testing laboratory accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) or any accreditation body as per the relevant International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)/IS standards:</p>
<ul>
<li>Mechanical strength test</li>
<li>Vibration test</li>
<li>Temperature cycle test</li>
<li>Heating cycle test</li>
<li>Radio interference voltage and visual corona test</li>
<li>Corrosion resistance test</li>
<li>Aging tests</li>
</ul>
<p>The mechanical strength tests should be carried out before and after the aging test.</p>
<p>All bird diverters should have a warranty period of at least five years. The warranty should cover all components of the diverter.</p>
<p>The committee has stated that since the deployment of bird flight diverters is an emerging field in India, there is ample scope for improving the quality of these devices from learnings based on the assessment of their field durability and effectiveness.  A mechanism may be explored to carry out routine field monitoring of installed diverters and develop a shareable information repository for further necessary refinements of these standards by an appropriate committee.</p>
<p>Subscribe to Mercom’s real-time <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/mercoms-renewable-energy-regulatory-updates/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Regulatory Updates</a> to ensure you don’t miss any critical updates from the renewable industry.</p>


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