Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Goa government has reiterated before the Supreme Court’s Central Empowered Committee (CEC) that declaring the Mhadei–Cotigao belt as a tiger reserve would have severe social consequences, as nearly one lakh people reside within the proposed protected area and depend on forest resources for their livelihoods.
In its latest submission, the State provided the committee with detailed habitation records, infrastructure maps, and data on pending claims under the Wildlife Protection Act concerning the Mhadei and adjoining sanctuaries. A senior Forest Department official said the State has made it clear that residents — many of whom have lived in forest villages for over five decades — are unwilling to relocate, and there are no viable alternatives to resettle such a large population.
The CEC, which visited Goa last month, had sought comprehensive inputs from the Forest Department to evaluate the social and economic fallout of converting Mhadei and nearby sanctuaries into a tiger reserve. It also asked for clarity on existing human settlements, forest use patterns, and possible displacement scenarios.
According to the State’s report, the proposed reserve spans about 745 sq km, including nearly 200 sq km of core and buffer zones. Officials highlighted that the dense human habitation within this landscape would make the implementation of tiger reserve norms highly disruptive for local communities.
The Forest Department also informed the committee that, while Goa had initially identified and demarcated the Mhadei–Cotigao region as per the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)’s advisory under Section 38(V) of the Wildlife Protection Act, the NTCA’s recommendation is not mandatory. The government stressed that a final decision would be based on a comprehensive feasibility review.
In July 2023, the Bombay High Court at Goa had directed the State to notify the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and adjoining areas as a tiger reserve within three months. The State later challenged the order in the Supreme Court, which on September 8 imposed a status quo on all developmental activities within the proposed area and tasked the CEC with submitting its findings within six weeks.
During the CEC’s consultations in Goa, several local MLAs, panchayat leaders, and residents voiced strong opposition to the proposal, citing fears of displacement and restrictions on livelihood. The State, in its initial meeting with the panel, reiterated that the Mhadei landscape primarily functions as a wildlife corridor facilitating tiger movement between Maharashtra and Karnataka, but that no scientific evidence confirms the presence of a resident tiger population in Goa.
