The Supreme Court has delivered a major setback to the Goa government in the ongoing dispute over the proposed Tiger Reserve in the Mhadei region, siding with environmentalists and advocates from the Goa Foundation. On September 8, 2025, the Court ordered a status quo on all land and development activities in the protected areas earmarked for the Tiger Reserve, effectively halting Goa’s aggressive push for eco-tourism and other projects in ecologically sensitive zones. The case was referred to the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), which will hear all stakeholders and submit a feasibility report within six weeks.
A bench led by Chief Justice BR Gavai ordered that no further development or project approvals would be allowed in the Mhadei-Kotigaon corridor and adjoining sanctuaries identified as suitable tiger habitat by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). This was in response to pleas from both the State and environmental groups challenging a 2024 Bombay High Court order that directed Goa to notify the sanctuary as a Tiger Reserve and prepare a tiger conservation plan under the Wildlife Protection Act.
Goa Foundation successfully countered the State’s claims, highlighting that the proposed reserve covers land already classified as wildlife sanctuaries and national parks, no new land would be acquired, and relocation of existing communities would be minimal. Advocate Norma Alvares, representing the Foundation, argued that government-approved eco-tourism projects in core sanctuary zones threaten both the tiger habitat and the broader ecosystem.
State Government’s Position and Setback
The Goa government, represented by senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, contended that declaring the Tiger Reserve would remove around 20% of Goa’s territory from human use and risk mass relocations of up to 15,000 families.