BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Power Transmission Company (MP Transco) has brought bird-induced power failures in the Vindhya region down to almost zero by installing specially designed bird guards and excreta preventers on high-voltage transmission towers, Energy Minister Pradhuman Singh Tomar said on Friday.
The measures have been introduced on transmission lines passing through bird-sensitive areas in Rewa, Satna, Panna, Sidhi and Singrauli districts, helping maintain an uninterrupted power supply while reducing the risk of birds coming into contact with electrical equipment, he said.
Bird flight diverters, bird guards and bird excreta preventers have been installed on 132 kV and 220 kV transmission lines in the region. Around 20 bird-related trippings were recorded on transmission lines in the Rewa region during 2025-26, said Amit Kumar, executive engineer, MP Transco, Rewa-Satna.
Following a technical assessment of the incidents, MP Transco identified vulnerable locations and began installing bird guards and excreta preventers. Since the measures were introduced, bird-related tripping incidents have fallen to almost zero, Kumar said.
Transmission towers located near forests and water bodies often serve as nesting and perching sites for birds. Bird droppings can accumulate on insulator discs and, because of increased electrical conductivity during rain or high humidity, may cause flashovers and subsequent line tripping, he explained.
Bird guards are fitted at the ends of tower crossarms, making it difficult for birds to perch or build nests at those points. In some locations, the arrangement also restricts monkeys from reaching the edges of the crossarms, Kumar said.
Excreta preventers are placed on the upper section of disc insulators. When birds sit on a tower crossarm, the device prevents their droppings from accumulating directly on the insulator disc, thereby reducing the possibility of