With International Tiger Day approaching on July 29, the wait for Goa’s tiger reserve continues, as official notification remains pending
RAMANDEEP KAUR & KALYANI JHA | NT NETWORK
Even three years after the Goa Foundation filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) urging the state government to notify a tiger reserve, the matter remains unresolved despite directives from the High Court and pressure from national conservation authorities.
The PIL was triggered by the poisoning of four tigers in the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary, reportedly in retaliation for cattle kills. Director, Goa Foundation, Claude Alvares says the killings exposed the lack of a compensation system for villagers affected by wildlife conflict.
Push for notification ignored
The PIL urged the court to direct the forest department to submit a tiger reserve proposal to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), which, along with the Ministry of Environment and Forests, had repeatedly requested action from the Goa Government.
Alvares says the forest department initially responded by commissioning expert reports and demarcating core and buffer zones across the state’s four wildlife sanctuaries and national park. However, progress stalled after a new forest minister from Sattari took office. He says files went missing, officials denied tiger presence, and the then Chief Minister described the tigers as temporary visitors.
He adds that the NTCA later confirmed tiger presence and corridors in Goa through its own investigation and formally directed the state to notify the reserve. “These findings were presented during court proceedings,” says Alvares.
High Court order ignored
In 2023, the High Court directed the government to notify the reserve within three months. With no action taken, the Goa Foundation filed a contempt petition. Alvares says the state remains in violation of the order, though proceedings have been delayed due to a pending Supreme Court appeal that is now ready for hearing.
He also criticises the State Board for Wildlife for supporting the government’s claim that Goa is not ready for a tiger reserve. He says the board has failed in its responsibility to protect wildlife. “It has chosen to prioritise political interests over wildlife conservation,”
he adds.
Development projects in protected zones
Instead of advancing the reserve, Alvares alleges that the government is backing development projects in ecologically sensitive zones. “A Rs. 8-crore tourism project with 12 villas is being pushed on the Surla Plateau, which lies in the proposed core zone. A similar complex is coming up in Mollem. Both violate the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and defy the High Court order.”
Political resistance a major obstacle
According to Alvares, political resistance is the main obstacle. He points out that in 2014 a petition to denotify the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary was filed, a case that remains pending. He adds that the settlement of land rights within the sanctuary is also incomplete, as no forest settlement officer has carried out the job.
He argues that notifying a tiger reserve would help resolve these issues, as only the core zone, which has minimal human habitation, would be kept inviolate. “Residents in the buffer zone could benefit from tourism-related livelihoods and relocation assistance. The NTCA offers Rs. 15 lakh per household, with the option for the state to provide matching support,” he shares.
Need for the reserve
Environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar says that the initial proposal to declare Mhadei a tiger reserve began in 2013. Its aim was to protect the sanctuary and the river catchment areas that provide much of Goa’s water. Following a petition by the Goa Foundation, the High Court directed that surrounding areas without human settlements or agricultural activity be included as part of the reserve’s core zone.
“The objective was to safeguard the forests that house the Mhadei River and its tributaries,” Kerkar explains. These water bodies lie within both Goa’s Mhadei W
ildlife Sanctuary and Karnataka’s Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary, notified in 1999 and 2014 respectively. “Together, these protected forests ensure the health of Goa’s freshwater ecosystems.”
A notified tiger reserve, he says, would give Goa stronger legal grounds to oppose Karnataka’s ongoing efforts to divert the Mhadei River. “According to the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, no state can dam or divert a naturally flowing river within a sanctuary without proper clearances. If Mhadei is declared a tiger reserve, we can better protect our water sources,” he adds.
Karnataka, he says, has already completed work on the Kalasa diversion and is now pushing to divert the Banduri Nala into the Malaprabha Basin. “Goa’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forests has raised objections to these projects, and the National Board for Wildlife has deferred clearance. The matter is now pending before the Supreme Court,” notes Kerkar.
Echoing this, Alvares points out that under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, diversion of water from a sanctuary is illegal and that Goa’s Chief Wildlife Warden has already issued an order opposing Karnataka’s actions.
Alvares adds that tigers are an integral part of Goa’s cultural and ecological heritage. “Their presence signals a healthy, prey-rich habitat, and many places and temples in Goa are named after the animal.”
He concludes that the future of Goa’s tigers and the tiger reserve proposal now rests on the upcoming
Supreme Court hearing.
Environmental and climate benefits
Beyond water security, Kerkar emphasises the broader ecological value of these forests. “These are Goa’s lungs,” he says. “They help regulate the climate, sustain biodiversity, and produce large amounts of oxygen.” With climate change and erratic rainfall becoming more pronounced, he believes legal protection for these
ecosystems is more urgent than ever.
Human-wildlife conflict on the rise
Kerkar also draws attention to increasing incidents of human-wildlife conflict, particularly involving sloth bears. In Tula Village, Sattari Taluka, three attacks by sloth bears have been reported in five years. Two deaths were recorded in the Bhimgad area across the Goa-Karnataka border. “These conflicts show the need for better protection and buffer zone management,” he says.
Tula has also seen tiger sightings, including a tigress with cubs. “But, no concrete conservation steps have been taken by the forest department in the past two years. The anti-poaching squad remains under-resourced, watchtowers are unmanned, and encroachments are growing,”
laments Kerkar.
He also points out to illegal teak (teju) plantations inside sanctuary boundaries, which are reducing viable habitat for tigers and other species.
On field-level conservation lacking
Goa is home to a small but stable population of tigers, but efforts to protect them remain inadequate, says retired forest officer Prakash Damodar Salelkar, who served in the state’s forest department for over 40 years.
Citing camera trap data from his time as deputy conservator of forests at Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary (2016 to 2018), Salelkar says that five individual tigers were identified from 26 images verified by the Wildlife Institute of India. Tigers have been documented in all major sanctuaries, including Mhadei, Bhagwan Mahavir and Netravali. Camera traps in 2024 and 2025 have also confirmed their presence.
Despite this, Salelkar believes Goa is falling short on field-level conservation. “Our efforts can’t be compared to places like Bandipur and Mudumalai. Forest staff here often lack even basic safety gear and are hesitant to enter areas where tigers are active. This compromises both animal protection and staff safety,” he shares.
Recalling the 2020 poisoning of four tigers in Mhadei, he says, “The staff were aware of tiger movements but afraid to patrol those zones. Without a strong presence, such incidents go unnoticed or unaddressed.”
Salelkar also questions the over-reliance on drones. “Technology can help detect movement, but it can’t assess prey availability, habitat health or behaviour patterns. You need people on the ground for that.”
He clarifies that wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and tiger reserves are governed under the same legal protections. The Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006 allows eligible forest-dwelling communities to claim up to four hectares of land, even within protected areas.
He stresses the importance of genuine community engagement when it comes to relocation. “Many don’t trust the process because past promises were not fulfilled. Authorities must first prepare suitable land and offer a clear proposal. When people see a better future, they are often willing to move.”
During his tenure, Salelkar would visit villages after tiger sightings or livestock kills to reassure locals. “I would tell them not to harm the tiger and assure compensation within seven days. And we ensured that happened. That’s how you build trust,” he says.
He adds that tigers rarely pose a threat to humans. “They typically target larger prey like buffaloes or cows, not people. In Goa, there hasn’t been a single recorded incident of a tiger attacking a human in the last 80 years.”
Salelkar also raises concerns over sensational reporting of wildlife sightings. “A leopard seen on CCTV quickly becomes front-page news, creating unnecessary panic. In one instance in Karanjal, Karnataka, only one person had seen what was later reported as a tiger sighting, but the fear spread across the village.”
He says forest officers should respond swiftly by meeting villagers, providing facts and assuring them of safety and support. “When people feel informed and protected, they are less likely to react out of fear or anger,” says Salelkar, who has worked across all six of Goa’s wildlife sanctuaries and spent 17 years in conservation roles. His father served in the department before him and his son is now a senior forest officer in South Goa.
“Conservation isn’t just about technology or enforcement. It’s about being present, building relationships, and working with people. Without that, nothing will work, no matter what tools you use,” says Salelkar.