India’s vulture population, already devastated by the drug diclofenac, now faces a new danger: electrocution from the country’s rapidly growing high‑tension power infrastructure. This emerging risk could reverse recent conservation gains if not addressed promptly.
Key Developments
- Since the 1990s, vulture numbers fell from ~4 crore to near‑extinction due to NSAIDs like diclofenac.
- The government banned diclofenac and, in 2023, added aceclofenac and ketoprofen to the ban list.
- A 2024 American Economic Review study linked the decline to higher rabies cases and economic damage.
- 2025 survey shows vultures now nest at only 50% of historic sites.
- Recent field work near Dehradun (Uttarakhand) found that moving livestock carcass dumps 2.4 km away from power lines reduced electrocution deaths.
Important Facts
Vultures have large wingspans, allowing them to bridge two conductors simultaneously, which leads to fatal electric shocks. They often perch on elevated structures and are attracted to open areas where food is predictable, especially near waste dumps placed close to power lines. Electrocution incidents have been recorded not only on high‑voltage lines but also on medium‑voltage circuits, affecting species such as the Egyptian vulture and steppe eagle.
Exam Relevance
This issue cuts across multiple GS papers. Environment and ecology (GS3) require understanding of biodiversity loss and its cascading effects on public health and the economy. Polity (GS2) is relevant because policy decisions—bans on harmful drugs and regulations on power‑line design—are central to mitigation. Economics (GS3) is highlighted by the quantified monetary loss due to increased mortality and disease. Ethics (GS4) raises questions about human responsibility toward wildlife and ecosystem services.
Way Forward
- Implement spatial planning: keep carcass dumps and feeding sites at least 2 km away from power lines.
- Upgrade power infrastructure by insulating conductors, increasing gaps between energized and grounded parts, and installing safe perches.
- Conduct systematic monitoring of bird mortality near electrical installations to improve data reliability.
- Promote community awareness about proper waste disposal to reduce attractants near power lines.
- Strengthen inter‑agency coordination between the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the Power Ministry for integrated conservation‑infrastructure policies.
Early, coordinated action can safeguard the remaining vulture populations, preserve their ecological role as natural carcass disposers, and prevent further economic and health costs.