Team Herald
PANJIM: Decades after being notified as Protected Areas (PAs), Cotigao and Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary are set to have their first ever wildlife management plans (WMPs) that will spell out the scientific management of these protected areas along with activities that are allowed and prohibited by adopting animal-friendly conservation methods. The plans are likely to be implemented by June, this year.
While the WMPs of Cotigao and Bondla are almost finalized, the plans for Mhadei WLS, Netravali WLS and Bhagwan Mahaveer WLS and National park are in process. The management plan for Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary is already in place.
This is the first time that a ten-year long wildlife management plan for the protected areas are being drafted which will guide the forest department on carrying out scientific management of these areas.
“Ever since the wildlife sanctuaries were notified, there was no plan in place for their scientific management. This is for the first time that the department has taken the initiative. The plans of Cotigao and Bondla are almost finalized and would be sent for government approval by next month. The plan implementation will begin from June,” Chief Wildlife Warden Saurabh Kumar told O Heraldo.
The State Legislative Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) had in its 2019 report, pulled up the State Forest Department for lack of policy management for protected areas resulting into rampant encroachments, poaching, killing, animal-human conflicts, etc.
Kumar said that the plan will focus on health of the wildlife along with soil conservation, no poaching, extensive patrolling, eco-tourism, protection to endangered species, boundary demarcation, etc.
The Cotigao Wildlife sanctuary, spread across 86 sq kms was set up in 1968. Covering an area of 7.98 sq kms , Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the smallest protected areas in Goa.
The Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park, spread across a 240 sq km area in Dharbandora taluka, were declared as wildlife sanctuaries (WLS) in 1969. The core area of the sanctuary covering 107 sq km (41 sq miles) was notified as Mollem National Park in 1978.
Spread across 208 sq km, the Mhadei WLS was declared as PA in 1999. The Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary is hardly 8 sq km.
The Officer further informed that the WMPs will spell out better ways of management and conservation of the protected areas, along with identifying the activities that can be allowed and prohibited.
