Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant today justified his government’s decision not to have a Tiger Reserve in Goa, stating that being a small state, it does not fit into one of the criteria led down by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
On Wednesday, the state Wildlife Board headed by Sawant decided not to proceed with the Tiger reserve proposal for any of its protected areas.
Talking to reporters on Thursday, Sawant said that State does not fit into one of the criteria set by NTCA, and hence there was no question of having a Tiger reserve.
He said that State has already filed an affidavit before the High Court informing that Goa is not fit for Tiger Reserve.
However, he said that State will follow all the criteria and guidelines of the Wildlife Act to protect and conserve all its seven Wildlife Sanctuaries.
“We are taking all measures to protect Tiger and wild animals in the seven sanctuaries,” he said.
The Goa wildlife board has rejected a proposal to set up a tiger reserve in the State because setting up a tiger reserve at the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary was “not feasible” vis-a-vis the guidelines of central tiger authorities.
The decision comes while the Goa bench of the Bombay high court is hearing a plea by the Goa Foundation, a prominent environmental NGO in the State, seeking directions to the state government to notify a tiger reserve for big cats of the State and adjoining wildlife sanctuaries.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority has, on several occasions, most recently in 2020, recommended the setting up of a tiger sanctuary at the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary.
The recommendation was made after the deaths of four tigers, a tigress and three adolescent cubs in 2019 at the Mhadei sanctuary.
