MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: On World Tiger Day, the activists under the banner ‘Save Mhadei Save Tiger’ on Saturday held a protest at Azad Maidan, Panjim demanding that the government should go ahead in notifying the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary as a Tiger Reserve.
The speakers said that environmentalists like Claude Alvares, Adv Norma Alvares and Rajendra Kerkar have been working selflessly and tirelessly to protect the environment and Mhadei river and it would be apt for the government to notify a Tiger Reserve.
Kerkar said, “Seventy-eight per cent of North Goa district’s forest lies in the Sattari taluka and if we protect and preserve it then we will have no dearth of water. In countries like US especially in California the local administration has imposed stringent restrictions to protect and preserve trees.”
Kerkar said, “It has now converted open spaces into forests giving importance to conservation of environment and wildlife.”
The speakers demanded that the government should honour the verdict of the High Court and declare the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary as Tiger Reserve.
Social Activist Xencor Polgi said that Tiger Reserve is the need of the hour but it is regretful that the politicians have been hurt by the High Court verdict.
He refused to accept the government’s contention that the Tiger Reserve will displace the forest dwellers and alleged that the government is on a spree converting land and promoting mega projects which will put additional burden on existing infrastructure particularly water.
