NTCA tells SC, Goa must declare Mhadei sanctuary as tiger reserve

Panaji: In a major setback to state govt, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), in an affidavit before Supreme Court, said that it has requested Goa govt to declare the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary as a tiger reserve.
Dismissing state govt’s contention that it was a mere suggestion or recommendation, the authority said its decision was based only after estimating the tiger population, its ecology, landscape connectivity of the area and based on technical inputs received from experts in the field.
“It cannot be said that a bare perusal of letters by Union environment ministry and the NTCA indicates that the import of the letter is simply suggestive in nature and cannot be deemed a recommendation from NTCA as alleged by state govt,” NTCA assistant inspector general of forest Santosh Singh said in the affidavit, filed on behalf of the Union environment ministry and the NTCA.
Referring to the All-India Tiger Estimation (AITE) report (2022), Union govt said that the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in the northern Western Ghats landscape (North Goa division) and shares a continuous boundary with protected areas (PAs) in Goa and the northern Karnataka landscape.
“Systematic camera trapping was carried out for the first time by the forest department as part of the AITE exercise, resulting in photo captures of two adult tiger individuals. No cubs/young tigers were photo-captured during the exercise,” Singh said.
The affidavit said the Mhadei sanctuary held a "significant potential" for the range expansion of tigers in Goa as well as in the northern Western Ghats.
"It is important to enhance the protection regime, create inviolate core areas, maintain a healthy prey population within the wildlife sanctuary, ensure rivers are not dammed, and secure connectivity with neighbouring tiger-bearing areas by regulating land use patterns hostile to tiger conservation,” the affidavit said.
“It is important to augment the ungulate population in the sanctuary. The mining industry should pay attention to the connectivity of forests for the safe passage of animals,” the affidavit said.
Countering state govt’s petition challenging the high court order directing Goa to declare Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and its surrounding areas as a tiger reserve, the NTCA has come out against govt and said that it is a settled procedure of law that no one can be permitted to interpret the law as per their own convenience.
“State govt, in its petition, has interpreted the term ‘shall’, as per its own convenience, by declaring that the term ‘shall’ is not mandatory. State alleged that the high court erroneously held that the term 'shall' is mandatory in nature. It is further submitted that the interpretation of any term of any section of law is primarily the duty of the courts. It is a settled procedure of law that no one can be permitted to interpret the law as per their own convenience,” the NTCA affidavit said.