Goa Directed to Notify Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary as Tiger Reserve by Bombay High Court

The Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court has issued a directive to the Government of Goa to designate the 208 sq. km. Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and its surrounding areas as a tiger reserve. The court ordered the state government to issue this notification within three months.

Court’s Emphasis on Tiger Conservation

The Division Bench of Justices M.S. Sonak and Bharat Deshpande was responding to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Goa Foundation, a local NGO, which sought to compel the Goa Government to declare the tiger reserves in the state, as requested by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

The court underlined the vital role of tigers in protecting forests, quoting a Sanskrit verse from the Mahabharata, and emphasized the importance of tiger conservation. It pointed out the significant decline in the tiger population in India over the years, noting that in 1947, at the time of India’s independence, there were around 40,000 tigers in the country. However, the 2023 Tiger Census estimates the current tiger population in India at 3,167, a decrease of almost 92% in less than 76 years.

Court’s Directives

In a 94-page order, the court issued several directives:

1. The State Government was directed to notify the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and other areas mentioned in NTCA’s communications as a tiger reserve within three months.
2. The State government must prepare a tiger conservation plan in accordance with the Wildlife Protection Act and submit it to the NTCA within three months after notifying the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and other areas as a tiger reserve.
3. The State government was instructed to establish anti-poaching camps at strategic locations, to be manned by forest guards and watchers, within the wildlife sanctuaries and national parks in Goa, to be completed within six months.
4. The State government must promptly address and settle the rights and claims of the Scheduled Tribes and other forest dwellers, following the law, and preferably within 12 months from the date of the court’s directive (July 24, 2023).