Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Goa government has told the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) that the Mhadei protected areas serve merely as a passage for tigers moving between Maharashtra and Karnataka, and not as a habitat where they reside.
Submitting its stand before the committee, which is hearing the tiger reserve matter on Supreme Court directions, the State argued there is no scientific evidence to prove that tigers are permanent residents of Goa.
The government further stated that recommendations of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) are not binding, and any decision on declaring Mhadei a tiger reserve should be preceded by a review of feasibility.
It warned that relocating nearly one lakh people living across several villages within the notified areas could spark major unrest and even violent opposition.
Citing NTCA’s own 2014 assessment, the State said the protected zones in Goa function only as a corridor for tiger movement. At that time, four tigers were recorded in Mhadei, dropping to three in 2018, with no evidence of cub-rearing or long-term habitation. “Only adult tigers were camera-trapped and there is no proof of the same animal being resident,” the submission noted.
The State also referred to its 2023 State Wildlife Board meeting where it was concluded that designating the existing sanctuaries as a tiger reserve would serve little purpose, given the limited forest cover and the dense human population dependent on the land for decades. It added that no alternative land is available to resettle the affected inhabitants.
The CEC will hear all stakeholders, including the Goa Foundation and central agencies, before submitting its report to the Supreme Court in the coming weeks.
