Goemkarponn Desk
PANAJI: As world is celebrating Tiger Day today, in Goa there is a debate going on over declaration of Mhadei wildlife sanctuary to Cotigao Wildlife sanctuary corridor as tiger reserve. The High Court on July passed a strong order directing Goa government to declare tiger reserve within three months, the BJP-led regime is not in favour and is exploring various options to defeat the order.
Tigers have been observed in the Goa region of the Western Ghats over the years. Six tiger sightings were reported in Goa by the forest department in 2022. Although the number of resident tigers in this area is unknown, it is undeniable that this is a crucial corridor for tiger mobility.
“Tiger are habitats of Goa and not a transit animals and this has been proven often with their sightings across this corridor over the years now. It is high time that government accept this fact and move ahead,” renowned environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar said.
Declaring a tiger reserve will stop human encroachment into wildlife sanctuary, forbid the operation of red category industries, and open up access to national and international financing for the maintenance of the tiger habitat.
According to Kerkar, establishing a tiger reserve does not require a minimum base population. According to him, a territory can be designated as a tiger reserve even in the absence of any wildcats provided it can act as a natural habitat for tigers and has a large enough prey population.
The NTCA’s Status of Tigers 2022 study states that the Western Ghats’ tiger population has decreased from 981 in 2018 to 824 distinct tigers. This decrease contrasts with the same period’s increase in the number of tigers at the national level, which went from 2461 to 3080.
The research states that while tiger populations inside protected areas have either increased or stayed stable, tiger occupancy outside of these areas has dramatically reduced. One place where tiger occupancy has declined is the border region between Goa and Karnataka.
The Bombay High Court in Goa was approached in 2020 by the NGO Goa Foundation following death of four tigers including two curbs. The NGO petitioned the court to order the state to implement the NTCA’s directive to establish a tiger reserve in Goa.
At the initial stage of resolving the claims of human settlement under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the procedure of notification of the wildlife sanctuaries (before they are elevated to tiger reserves) is still pending.
According to the Indian Forest Act of 1927, the state government must appoint a forest settlement officer (FSO) to investigate the land rights of persons living inside the planned reserve forest’s defined borders as soon as the notification under Section 4 is issued.
The state government in Goa was given a three-month deadline by the Bombay High Court bench to notify the current Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and its surrounding regions as a Tiger Reserve.
The state government was instructed to take all necessary procedures to create a tiger conservation plan and submit it to the NTCA within three months after notifying the reserve in a 94-page order from a division bench of Justices M S Sonak and Bharat Deshpande.
Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane on Thursday slammed a non-governmental organization, whose petition led the Bombay High Court to declare the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and its adjoining areas as a tiger reserve, terming the NGO as a “pain” for the state.
Speaking during demands for grants for the forest department in the assembly, Rane said the NGO, Goa Foundation, was imposing “obstructive” policies on Goa, which is a progressive state.
The NTCA has repeatedly advocated for the creation of a tiger reserve within the deserted core zones of Goa’s protected areas and asked the state to expedite the notification process for the Mhadei sanctuary and certain nearby territories as a tiger reserve.
