M.K. RANJITSINH Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The three-member Committee constituted by the order of this Court dtd. 19/4/2021 has submitted its status report dtd. 20/4/2022.

(2.) The status report indicates that the Committee received eight applications for exemption from the requirement of setting up underground transmission lines. The Committee has tabulated the status of the applications. The Committee has obtained a technical report from the Central Electricity Authority, "CEA", on the feasibility of undergrounding 400 kV and 765 kV transmission lines. The Committee has also sought a technical report from CEA on undergrounding 66 kV and 220 kV transmission lines to which a reply is awaited.

(3.) The tabulated chart indicates that out of the eight applications which were submitted to it, the Committee has approved two applications on the receipt of CEA's technical report permitting the laying of overhead transmission lines subject to the installation of bird divertors. The remaining six applications are at various stages of scrutiny upon which a decision is expected to be taken by the Committee.