MP Transco, the company responsible for electricity transmission in Madhya Pradesh, has developed an effective technical solution to eliminate frequent power outages and protection system trips in the Vindhya region that were previously caused by birds.
Special devices—Bird Guards and droppings preventers—have been installed in the areas of Riva, Satna, Panna, Sidhi, and Singaul to protect against bird droppings. Thanks to these measures, the number of network outage incidents in the region has dropped to almost zero.
According to a technical study conducted by MP Transco engineers (Riva-Satna) Amit Kumar and Ajay Chaurasia, approximately 20 major protection system trips due to bird activity were recorded in Riva and its surroundings during 2025-26.
Electrical substations passing through areas such as the Banasagar, Rihand reservoirs, the Son and Tamas river basins, and the Sanjay Dubari sanctuary have become popular nesting and resting spots for birds. During rains or high humidity, bird droppings accumulated on disc insulators, increasing the insulator's electrical conductivity and leading to short circuits (flashovers) and subsequent line shutdowns.
The Bird Guards are installed on the ends of the cross beams of towers, and their special design prevents birds from landing or building nests. This system also prevents monkeys from approaching the cross beams. The preventers are attached directly above the disc insulators; if a bird does land and defecates, this device prevents it from falling directly onto the insulator, thereby preserving its insulating properties.
Additionally, aviation deflectors (Bird Flight Diverters) have been installed on the wires in sensitive areas to prevent flying birds from colliding with the power lines.
Engineers reported that MP Transco has installed 210 guards and 50 preventers on 470 poles across five 220 kV power lines with a total length of 133.68 km in the Vindhya region. Work is also underway to install 1600 guards and 150 preventers on 1530 poles of fifteen 132 kV power lines, totaling 440 km.
The goal of these measures is not only to reduce the number of outages caused by birds but also to protect the birds themselves from contact with the power lines, preventing injuries and deaths, and promoting the conservation of the region's biodiversity.
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