India’s clean energy ministry on Monday granted renewable energy developers extra time to commission projects delayed by a Supreme Court case on power transmission lines in habitats of the endangered Great Indian Bustard.
According to the report by Reuters, the ministry said delays in securing approvals for overhead transmission lines in the bird’s habitat areas in Rajasthan and Gujarat will qualify as “force majeure”, allowing developers to seek extensions to scheduled commissioning dates, according to a ministry order issued on Monday.
The decision comes after a December 2025 Supreme Court verdict that ended the long-running case and backed an expert panel’s proposal to protect the bird.
The panel proposed tighter limits on new wind and large solar projects inside the bird’s habitat zones. It also called for undergrounding key power distribution lines and rerouting high-voltage corridors.
The court had earlier curbed overhead lines in bustard habitats, prompting developers to hold back projects while they awaited clearances.
In its Monday order, the ministry told the country’s renewable energy implementation agencies to grant extensions for delays between March 21, 2024 and December 19, 2025.
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