PANJIM: Amidst State Government’s plan to challenge the High Court order on Tiger Reserve, renowned environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar on Saturday said that due to the ‘watertight judgment’ of the High Court, it will be tough for the government to overturn that decision in the Supreme Court and it will be left with no option but to declare Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and its surrounding corridors as Tiger Reserve.
Kerkar maintained that the declaration of Tiger Reserve will be a win-win situation for Goa.
He said that it will help the State in its fight against the diversion of Mhadei River water by Karnataka.
He also alleged that elected representatives of the area are misleading the people claiming nearly 15,000 villagers will have to be displaced once Tiger Reserve is declared.
On the occasion of World Tiger Day, the activists including Kerkar under the banner ‘Save Mhadei Save Tiger’ on Saturday held a protest at Azad Maidan demanding that the government should go ahead in notifying the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary as a Tiger Reserve.
“The verdict of the High Court is very clear and watertight. The verdict is basically to protect our identity…our ecology, environment, wildlife and wild animals. The Supreme Court will not entertain any challenge to this judgment. Hence, there is no other option before the State than to notify a Tiger Reserve,” Kerkar said.
He stated that there is enough scope to rehabilitate the people residing within the sanctuary area, as per the National Tiger Conservation Authority guidelines.
Countering the claim of one MLA that people living in cities should not tell them about Tiger Reserve, Kerkar said, “My generations have been living in the village area of Sattari and I have been fighting for Tiger Reserve and forest cause for the last two decades. I am very well aware of the situation including the encroachments.”
Earlier speaking, social activist Rajan Ghate said that the claim that many people from Sattari, Dharbandora, Sanguem and Canacona will be affected if Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary is declared as Tiger Reserve is a ‘blatant lie’.
“Husband-wife duo is misleading the people. Environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar has studied the subject and according to him, only six-odd houses will be affected and the government will have to rehabilitate only these six families. We urge the government to accept the High Court order and notify Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary as a Tiger Reserve,” Ghate said.
He also demanded that the government should not waste taxpayers’ money in case they want to move the Supreme Court individuals should be made to pay the fees of the lawyers from their own pockets.
Another activist, Rama Kankonkar alleged that the recent forest fires were a step to destroy the habitat of tigers. “All this was to protect mining and real estate lobbies,” he charged further.