Vulture Conservation in India: Electrocution as an Emerging Threat

GS-III: Environment & Ecology | Biodiversity Conservation | Wildlife Protection | Environmental Governance

Context

• Emerging Threat: While chemical poisoning has historically been the major threat to vultures, electrocution from expanding power infrastructure may increasingly become a serious threat.
• Population Crash: India’s vulture population declined by 99.5% by 2007 from around 4 crore in the 1980s.
• Most Affected Species: White-rumped, Indian and slender-billed vultures were nearly wiped out.
• Current Concern: Despite regulatory action against harmful veterinary drugs, unsafe power infrastructure continues to pose risks to the fragile vulture population.

Diclofenac Crisis

• Primary Cause: The major cause of the historic vulture decline was diclofenac, a painkiller used for cattle.
• Impact on Vultures: Diclofenac causes kidney damage in vultures feeding on treated livestock carcasses.
• Government Action: The government banned the use of diclofenac and introduced additional bans in 2023 to mitigate threats from aceclofenac and ketoprofen, among other NSAIDs.
• Ecological Consequence: The decline in vultures left animal carcasses exposed for longer periods.

Vulture Decline and Public Health

• Feral Dogs: The availability of exposed carcasses supported the growth of feral dog populations.
• Rabies: Increased feral dog populations contributed to rabies outbreaks.
• Human Mortality: A 2024 American Economic Review study estimated that human mortality increased by 4%.
• Economic Cost: The associated damages were estimated at $69.4 billion per year.

Emerging Threat: Electrocution

• Unsafe Infrastructure: Expanding electricity infrastructure can create new risks for vultures.
• Population Fragility: Although electrocution has not yet become as deadly as NSAIDs, the already fragile vulture population warrants early preventive action.
• Nesting Sites: An official survey reported in 2025 found vultures nesting at only 50% of their historic nesting sites.
• Large Wingspans: Vultures have wide wingspans, allowing a large bird to potentially contact two conductors simultaneously.
• Perching Behaviour: Vultures frequently perch on elevated structures, increasing their exposure to electrical infrastructure.
• Open Landscapes: Their preference for open landscapes can bring them closer to power infrastructure.
• Food Availability: Predictable food availability can encourage vultures to congregate near electrical installations.
• Food Waste: Dumping food waste around electrical installations can further increase this risk.

Evidence from Field Studies

• Dehradun Example: A study reported that relocating a livestock carcass dump 2.4 km away from high-tension power infrastructure near Dehradun may have prevented vulture electrocution.
• Medium-Voltage Lines: An assessment for the State Climate Resilient Power System Development Project recorded the electrocution of an Egyptian vulture and steppe eagles on medium-voltage rather than high-voltage lines.
• Local Extinction Risk: Research indicates that persistent mortality from electrocution alone could potentially make a local vulture population extinct.
• Under-Documentation: Avian electrocution is likely under-reported because dead birds may be removed by humans or scavenged.

Why Vultures Are Ecologically Important

• Scavenging Role: Vultures rapidly dispose of animal carcasses.
• Disease Control: Their decline can increase the availability of carcasses to other animals, contributing to public-health risks.
• Ecosystem Function: Their loss can disrupt the natural process of carcass decomposition and waste removal.

Conservation Measures

• Relocate Feeding Sites: Separate vulture feeding/carcass sites from power infrastructure.
• Insulate Conductors: Insulate electrical conductors, particularly in areas frequented by vultures.
• Increase Electrical Gaps: Increase the gap between energised and grounded components.
• Prevent Bridging: Modify infrastructure to prevent birds from simultaneously contacting dangerous electrical components.
• Safe Perches: Install safe perching structures for vultures and other birds.
• Infrastructure Planning: Incorporate bird-safety considerations into the planning and development of power infrastructure.
• Early Action: Preventive measures are important because persistent electrocution mortality can threaten local populations.

Conclusion

India’s vulture crisis demonstrates how the decline of a single ecological group can generate far-reaching ecological and public-health consequences. While harmful veterinary drugs such as diclofenac remain a historic lesson, the expansion of unsafe power infrastructure presents an emerging threat.

Early measures such as relocating carcass dumps, insulating conductors, increasing electrical clearances and installing safe perches can help prevent electrocution from becoming another major driver of vulture decline.

UPSC Mains Practice Question

Q. “The conservation of vultures in India requires addressing emerging infrastructure-related threats alongside chemical threats.” Discuss the causes and consequences of vulture decline and suggest suitable conservation measures. (250 words, 15 marks)