Environmentalists revive contentious call to declare a tiger reserve in Goa

Subject :Environment

Section: Protected Areas

Context:

An incident of tiger deaths in Goa’s Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary in 2020 and concern over development activities affecting tiger movement around the Goa-Karnataka border, have revived the call for notifying a tiger reserve in Goa.

Details:

The demand for a tiger reserve is debated and political, with some members of the government claiming that a tiger reserve is not needed because Goa does not have a resident tiger population.

Western Ghats in Goa region:

The Ghats cover 600 sq. km. on the coastal state’s eastern side and include:
- Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary,
- Bhagwan Mahavir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary,
- Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary and
- Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary.

Goa is the only state in India which has protected the complete Western Ghats section within a state.
- Goa’s four wildlife sanctuaries are located on the eastern side of the state in the Western Ghats, covering an area of about 750 km2 (290 sq mi).
- The Mahdei Wildlife Sanctuary and Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park all fall within the Mhadei River basin.
The Mhadei sanctuary includes the Vagheri Hills, the highest in the sanctuary.
- Other peaks in Goa include Sonsogor, the highest in Goa at 1,166 m (3,825 ft),Catlanchimauli 1,107 m (3,632 ft), Vaguerim 1,100 m (3,600 ft) and Morlemchogar1,000 m (3,300 ft).
- A unique discovery of theVagheri hills is the presence of a flowing lake or waterbody shaped in the exact map of India, midway to climbing the hill while looking down at the valley.
The Mhadei River, known downstream as the Mandovi River, the lifeline of the state of Goa, originates in Karnataka, travels28.8 km (17.9 mi) in Karnataka, passes 9.4 km (5.8 mi) through the Mahdei Wildlife Sanctuary and meets the Arabian Sea at Panaji after traveling 81.2 km (50.5 mi) in Goa.

Goa, an important tiger corridor:

Tigers have been spotted in the Goa part of Western Ghats. In 2022, the forest department recorded six tiger sightings in Goa.
Once it is converted into a tiger reserve, it could lead to a rise in tiger population and create a conducive environment for breeding.
According to the Status of Tigers 2022 report by the NTCA, the tiger population in the Western Ghats, has shrunk to 824 unique tiger individuals, down from 981 in 2018.
- This decline is in contrast to the national level increase to 3080 tigers from 2461, during the same period.
- While tiger populations within protected areas have either remained stable or increased, tiger occupancy outside of these regions has significantly decreased, notes the report.
- The border areas of Goa and Karnataka are one region where tiger occupancy has decreased.

Significance of declaring an area as a tiger reserve:

There is no minimum base population required to declare an area as a tiger reserve.
Even without the presence of any wildcats,a region can be marked as a tiger reserve if it can serve as a natural habitat, with sufficient prey base, for tigers.
Tiger reserves are designated habitats for the conservation of tigers and their prey base. Under the Wildlife Protection Act, of 1972, a tiger reserve is legally mandated to designate a critical core area over which human habitation and resource extraction is not permitted.
This area is encircled by a buffer zone that permits multiple human activities which gives precedence to conservation objectives.
The declaration of a tiger reserve will ensure improved monitoring and perhaps lead to an increase in tiger population while bringing enhanced technical and financial support from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
It will also empower the local communities residing inside the sanctuary by giving access to development opportunities as they will be able to utilise a voluntary resettlement scheme for joining mainstream society.
Declaring a tiger reserve will also prevent human encroachment, disallow red category industry operation and provide access to national and international funding for the upkeep of the tiger habitat.