Goa Debunks Tiger Reserve Plan, Citing Lack of Resident Tigers
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The Goa government has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court opposing the Central Empowered Committee's (CEC) report recommending a tiger reserve in the state. In its report, the CEC suggested a two-stage notification process for the reserve, which would cover areas contiguous to the Kali Tiger Reserve in Karnataka. However, Goa's additional principal chief conservator of forests, K. Ramesh Kumar, argued in the affidavit that the CEC's report is 'vague and without legal or factual basis' and failed to consider the presence of resident tigers in the area. Kumar stated that any proposal for a tiger reserve must be based on the presence of breeding or resident tigers, and that the CEC report focused on relocating local villagers rather than determining the existence of resident tigers. Goa has consistently opposed the creation of a tiger reserve in the Mhadei region, citing the absence of a resident tiger population. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) report of 2022 also noted that there was no presence of tigers in the proposed areas. The Goa government argued that the state already has a framework of protected areas that provide comprehensive protection for all species, including tigers, and that a tiger reserve is not necessary. The case will be taken up by the Supreme Court on February 16. The environmental group Goa Foundation, which initially brought the case to the High Court, has not responded to the affidavit but plans to do so shortly.
