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On December 19, 2025, a Supreme Court bench of Justices P S Narasimha and A S Chandurkar reiterated that the protection of the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) was “non-negotiable”.
The apex court also revised priority conservation areas of the GIB—14,013 square kilometres in Rajasthan and 740 square kilometres in Gujarat.
These zones will have no new wind turbines, no solar parks above 2 megawatt (MW), and no expansion of existing renewable projects.
The judgement brings to an end a four-year legal battle that repeatedly disrupted the planning and execution of the Green Energy Corridor, under which wind and solar energy projects are being built in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
The judgement also redraws the renewable energy map of India, with conservation now a primary concern to be taken into account when planning renewable projects.
Meanwhile, the judgement will hopefully help stall the slide of the Great Indian Bustard. It is the state bird of Rajasthan and is also known as ‘Godawan, ‘Hoom’, and ‘Gaganbher’, It is critically endangered due to hunting and habitat loss.