Custom-Designed Bird Guards Curb Power Failures, Protect Wildlife In MP's Vindhya Region

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Madhya Pradesh Power Transmission Company (MP Transco) has eliminated bird-related power failures in the Vindhya region by fitting towers with custom-designed bird guards and excreta preventers, state Energy Minister Pradyuman Singh Tomar said on Friday.

The devices installed across hundreds of high-voltage transmission towers in Rewa, Satna and nearby districts are protecting local wildlife while ensuring uninterrupted electricity, he said.

Tomar said bird flight diverters (BFDs), bird guards and bird excreta preventers have been installed on the towers of 132 kV and 220 kV transmission lines passing through bird-sensitive areas in Rewa, Satna, Panna, Sidhi and Singrauli districts, reducing the tripping rate to almost zero.

Around 20 trippings were recorded on transmission lines in the Rewa region due to birds in 2025-26, said Amit Kumar, executive engineer, MP Transco, Rewa-Satna.

Following a technical analysis of these incidents, the power company decided to install bird guards and bird excreta preventers at vulnerable locations.

Since their implementation, bird-induced tripping incidents have been reduced to almost zero. These devices, designed to take into account local conditions and bird behaviour, are proving effective, Kumar said.

Towers on transmission lines passing through forests and water bodies become nesting and perching sites for birds.

Kumar explained that bird excrement can accumulate on insulator discs due to increased electrical conductivity during rain or high humidity, which can lead to flashovers and line tripping.

Bird guards are installed at the ends of tower crossarms, and their structure makes it difficult for birds to perch and nest there. This arrangement also helps prevent monkeys from reaching the edge of the crossarm in some places, he said.

Bird excreta preventers are installed on the upper part of disc insulators. If a bird sits on the tower's crossarm and defecates, the preventer prevents the excreta from accumulating directly on the insulator disc.

This significantly reduces the likelihood of the insulator's insulation capacity being compromised and resulting in tripping, Kumar said.

Assistant Engineer Ajay Chaurasia, posted at Rewa Transmission Line Maintenance, took important initiatives based on a technical study of bird-induced tripping in the Vindhya region.

In the Vindhya region of Madhya Pradesh, MP Transco has installed 210 guards and 50 preventers on 470 towers of five 220 kV transmission lines with a total network length of 133.68 km, the official said.

Similarly, 1,600 guards and 150 preventers are being installed on 1,530 towers of 15 132 kV transmission lines with a total network length of 440 km, he said.

These measures aim to reduce bird-induced tripping while simultaneously protecting birds from contact with power lines, preventing their deaths and injuries, and promoting biodiversity and bird conservation in the region, the official said.

The Bansagar and Rihand reservoirs, the Son and Tamas river basins, the forest areas surrounding the Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve and other water bodies in the Vindhya region are home to several species of local and migratory birds.

Considering the high bird activity on transmission lines in these areas, MP Transco has been identifying vulnerable towers and installing bird guards and preventers in a phased manner, the official said.