New Delhi, Mar 18 (IANS): The National Green Tribunal has disposed of a plea alleging poor quality of bird flight diverters, a device which was installed to protect critically endangered Great Indian Bustards as per an earlier order passed by the tribunal.

The bird flight diverter with its reflectors has been used to change the path of the endangered birds from a distance to avoid their collision with power lines.

"We do not find it possible to consider the question of quality of the bird flight diverters as quality is a matter of opinion and in the domain of commercial considerations, which can be better gone into by the concerned statutory authorities or departments," said the bench headed by its Chairperson, Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel (retd) in a recent order.

The applicant also sought direction from the Centre to conduct a joint audit for finding out whether the power transmission line companies have installed poor quality of the devices in the habitat and blacklist the companies who have installed such devices.Further, it sought direction to prosecute the erring companies who have failed to comply with the earlier NGT order specifically under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972, and the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.

Great Indian Bustards are one of the heaviest flying birds in the world and have disappeared from 90 per cent of the habitat except in parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat which is to be protected.