Login
Login

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 03rd August 2025

Home / UPSC / Current Affairs / Bird Mortality Raises Ecological Concerns Amid India’s Wind Energy Expansion

Bird Mortality Raises Ecological Concerns Amid India's Wind Energy Expansion

Why in News?

  • India added 5 GW of wind energy in the first half of 2025, reflecting an 82% year-on-year growth. A recent study by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has raised serious concerns about bird mortality due to wind turbines in the Thar Desert, Rajasthan, particularly in biodiversity-rich and migratory zones.

Key Findings from the WII Study

  • The study was conducted across 3,000 sq. km in Jaisalmer, home to 900 turbines and 272 bird species.
  • Researchers found 124 bird carcasses around 90 wind turbines, estimating 4,464 bird deaths per 1,000 sq. km per year.
  • Control sites away from turbines showed no bird carcasses, strengthening the case for direct mortality from turbine structures.
  • Raptors and the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard were the most affected groups.
  • The Thar Desert lies on the Central Asian Flyway, a major global migratory route.

Ecological Concerns and Patterns

  • Bird collisions occur due to the blade rotation and turbine height intersecting with migratory and soaring bird flight paths.
  • Raptors are especially at risk due to their long lifespan, low reproduction rate, and soaring behavior.
  • Associated infrastructure like power lines adds to mortality, which earlier studies had overlooked.
  • The estimate of 1.24 bird deaths per turbine per month in Thar is far higher than previous national averages.

Existing Tools and Mitigation Measures

  • AVISTEP (Avian Sensitivity Tool for Energy Planning) maps India’s regions into low to very high avian sensitivity zones.
  • Suggested mitigation measures include painting one turbine blade for better visibility, seasonal shutdowns, and avoidance-based siting.
  • However, in India, onshore wind projects are not required to conduct Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), leaving biodiversity impacts unaccounted for.

Shift to Offshore Wind Energy

  • India aims to install 30 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030, starting with 4 GW bids in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.
  • Offshore wind is seen as an alternative to land acquisition bottlenecks but brings marine ecological risks, including noise pollution, habitat disruption, and turbidity.
  • The National Offshore Wind Energy Policy mandates EIAs for these projects.

National Offshore Wind Energy Policy (2015)

  • Launched by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) in 2015, this policy provides a framework for the development of offshore wind farms in India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
  • Key Features:
    • Identifies zones suitable for offshore wind energy, especially off the coasts of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.
    • Empowers NIWE (National Institute of Wind Energy) as the nodal agency for offshore wind resource assessment and development.
    • Mandates Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and Marine Spatial Planning to minimize ecological harm to marine and coastal biodiversity.
  • A rapid EIA for the Gulf of Khambhat identified marine mammals and birds in the region but underestimated avian migratory sensitivity, as per experts.

Policy Implications and India’s Balancing Act

  • India’s rapid renewable expansion must be aligned with ecological sustainability and biodiversity conservation.
  • The findings underscore the need to revise renewable energy regulations, especially for onshore wind, by mandating site-specific ecological assessments.
  • With India positioned along major migratory routes, its policies and practices could serve as a model for biodiversity-conscious energy transitions across the Global South.
  • A careful balance between energy security and ecological integrity will be key to achieving long-term sustainability goals

Raptors and the Critically Endangered Great Indian Bustard

  • Raptors are birds of prey that include species like eagles, vultures, hawks, falcons, and kites. These birds are characterized by sharp talons, keen eyesight, and hooked beaks.
  • Raptors play a crucial role in ecosystems by controlling rodent populations and cleaning up carrion.
  • Raptors are especially vulnerable to wind turbines because of their soaring flight patterns, which often occur at the height of rotating blades. They are also long-lived species that reproduce slowly, making them more susceptible to population declines from even small increases in mortality.
  • The Great Indian Bustard (GIB) is one of the rarest birds in the world, listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List.
  • Once widespread across India’s grasslands, fewer than 150 individuals are now believed to survive, mostly in Rajasthan and Gujarat.

GIBs are vulnerable to collisions with power lines and wind turbine blades due to poor frontal vision and low flight heights, making wind energy projects in their habitats a major conservation threat.

 

AVISTEP – Avian Sensitivity Tool for Energy Planning

  • AVISTEP is an open-access digital tool developed by BirdLife International, used for identifying avian-sensitive areas across India for renewable energy planning.
  • The tool maps both onshore and offshore zones into categories of avian sensitivity:
    • Very High, High, Moderate, and Low
  • The categorization is based on data from bird migration routes, endangered species habitats, and biodiversity hotspots.
  • Purpose of AVISTEP:
    • Helps wind and solar developers avoid ecologically sensitive areas during the planning stage.
    • Encourages a precautionary approach in siting infrastructure to reduce bird mortality.

Though AVISTEP provides a guiding framework, it is not legally binding, and ground-level ecological studies are still necessary before project approvals

 

Introduction

Economic Implications

For Indian Exporters

  • These reforms reduce transaction costs and compliance hurdles
  • Encourage a more competitive and efficient export environment
  • Promote value addition in key sectors like leather

For Tamil Nadu

  • The reforms particularly benefit the state’s leather industry, a major contributor to employment and exports
  • Boost the marketability of GI-tagged E.I. leather, enhancing rural and traditional industries

For Trade Policy

  • These decisions indicate a shift from regulatory controls to policy facilitation

Reinforce the goals of Make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, and India’s ambition to become a leading export power

Recently, BVR Subrahmanyam, CEO of NITI Aayog, claimed that India has overtaken Japan to become the fourth-largest economy in the world, citing data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). 

India’s rank as the world’s largest economy varies by measure—nominal GDP or purchasing power parity (PPP)—each with key implications for economic analysis.

Significance and Applications

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Address : 6, 1st  Floor , Above Just Bake,  1st Main Road,  Chandra Layout, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560040
  • Head Office : 1045, 2nd Floor, 6th Main Road, Vijayanagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560040
Call Us Now !
Bengaluru
Dharwad

Useful Links

  • Address : 6, 1st  Floor , Above Just Bake,  1st Main Road,  Chandra Layout, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560040
  • Head Office : 1045, 2nd Floor, 6th Main Road, Vijayanagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560040

Call Us Now !

Dharwad

Call Us Now !

Bengaluru

Dharwad

Useful Links

Useful Links

Copyright © JICE ACADEMY FOR EXCELLENCE PRIVATE LIMITED