Context
- The Goa government has taken contradictory positions on whether tigers reside permanently in the State.
- The issue resurfaced after the State challenged the Bombay High Court’s July 2023 order directing the formation of a tiger reserve within 3 months.
- The matter is now before the Supreme Court, which has asked the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) of the Ministry of Environment to submit a report.
Key Highlights
Goa’s Contradictory Positions
- Before SC-appointed committee (2023) → Claimed no permanent tiger presence.
- Before Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal (2018) → Claimed tigers are resident animals dependent on the Mahadayi basin forest landscape.
- Linked tiger habitat to Chorla – Mann – Kankumbi corridor → Bhimgad WLS (Karnataka) → Anshi-Dandeli Tiger Reserve with ~35 tigers.
Legal & Ecological Arguments
- Goa previously argued that impeding Mahadayi river flow affects prey base & tiger ecosystem.
- Government is now resisting tiger reserve declaration citing:
- NTCA guideline requirement: 800–1,000 sq km inviolate area.
- Current protected area: 745 sq km only.
- High human habitation: ~1 lakh population → lack of rehabilitation space.
- Only 3 tigers detected in 2018 camera trapping → claimed transient presence, not breeding population.
- Low prey density (deer population) → limited tiger survival prospects.
Judicial Timeline
- 2011 onwards: NTCA repeatedly recommended Mhadei WLS + adjoining areas be notified as tiger reserve.
- 2021: Poisoning of 4 tigers triggered PIL by Goa Foundation seeking reserve status.
- July 2023: Bombay HC order → notify tiger reserve within 3 months.
- Aug 2023: Goa filed SLP in SC challenging HC order.
- Sep 2024: SC directed CEC to hear stakeholders and submit report (extension pending).
Relevant Prelims Points
- Tiger Conservation Institutions
- NTCA (National Tiger Conservation Authority): Statutory body under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (as amended in 2006).
- Tiger Reserve Declaration: Made by State Government on NTCA recommendation; includes Core (inviolate) + Buffer zones.
- Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary (Goa):
- Key corridor linking Western Ghats tiger landscape (Goa–Karnataka–Maharashtra).
- Camera Trapping: Method used in All-India Tiger Estimation (AITE) every 4 years.
- Inviolate Space Concept: Area free from human settlement to enable breeding & prey growth.
- Key Threats in Region: poaching, poisoning incidents, linear projects (roads, dams), river diversion (Mahadayi).
Relevant Mains Points
Core Governance & Conservation Dimensions
- Conflict of development vs conservation:
- Goa govt fears large-scale displacement, social unrest, and inadequate rehabilitation space.
- HC & environmental groups emphasise constitutional duty under Article 48A & 51A(g) to protect wildlife.
- Western Ghats Tiger Landscape Significance
- Acts as metapopulation corridor enabling genetic exchange.
- Fragmentation threatens long-term tiger viability.
- Inter-State Resource & Wildlife Linkages
- Mahadayi river dispute + tiger conservation demonstrates interdependence of ecology & hydrology.
- Downstream ecological impacts influence prey density & predator movement.
Administrative & Policy Challenges
- Balancing tourism, mining, hydropower interests with conservation.
- Political reluctance due to human-settlement concentration inside proposed reserve.
- Need for participatory conservation model and community-livelihood integration instead of blanket relocation.
Way Forward
- Scientific carrying-capacity assessment of prey–predator dynamics in Mhadei basin.
- Corridor-based conservation rather than only core-centric protection.
- Voluntary, incentive-based resettlement for willing households + eco-tourism revenue sharing.
- Strengthen law enforcement: anti-poaching stations, forensic labs, wildlife crime mapping.
- Inter-state landscape-level tiger conservation plan for the Western Ghats.