Team Herald
PANJIM: Charging that the Goa government is not doing enough to protect the State’s interest in Mhadei issue, activists under the banner of ‘Save Mahadayi Save Goa’ on Monday reiterated their demand to notify the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary as a tiger reserve.
“The Western Ghats of Goa have a long history and icons depicting tiger worship, besides places named after the tiger and the presence of the big cats in recent years indicate that these protected forests and the ones connecting Karnataka and Maharashtra are one of the best potential tiger habitats in the Western Ghats and therefore need protection,” Rajan Ghate said while addressing mediapersons at Azad Maidan, here, along with several other activists.
“On August 9, 2011, there was public announcement that in principle approval was accorded by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for creation of a new tiger reserve at the Mhadei Sanctuary. Under Section 38 V of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1971, the Goa government was then authorised to notify Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary as a Tiger Reserve. But they failed to do so till date,” Ghate added.
