Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has directed the state government to immediately suspend construction activities linked to eco-tourism projects at Surla in the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and Collem in the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary. The order came two days after the Supreme Court directed the state to maintain status quo in areas identified by the High Court to be declared as a tiger reserve.
The state had sought permission to allow ongoing work at Collem, claiming that the project was midway and scheduled for completion within 90 days. However, the High Court refused, stating it would not interpret or dilute the Supreme Court’s directions. The court told the government that if it wished to continue with the works, it must approach the SC for clarity.
The apex court is currently hearing a special leave petition filed by the Goa government challenging the High Court’s July 2023 directive to notify the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and adjoining areas as a tiger reserve, as recommended by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). On Monday, the SC asked the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to review the matter and file its report within six weeks.
Meanwhile, the Goa Foundation has raised objections to the approval of a resort project on the Surla plateau, arguing that the land falls within the proposed core of the tiger reserve — a biodiversity-rich zone. The NGO alleged that despite contempt proceedings pending against the state for non-compliance with the HC order, bodies such as the Goa Tourism Development Corporation and Goa Forest Development Corporation went ahead and sanctioned the project.
The dispute underscores the growing friction between development ambitions and conservation imperatives in Goa’s forested landscapes, as legal battles over the Mhadei tiger reserve continue in the Supreme Court.
