PANJIM: There is enough telling evidence that we will present here to show that the Goa Forest Department from 2016 to 2020 and counting, was going ahead full steam to declare the contiguous Cotigao Mhadei Forest complex as Tiger Reserve.
Senior officials of the Forest Department were present in various meetings to take this forward. In some meetings, the Chief Minister himself was present. Without any further explanation or analysis, O Heraldo simply narrates the content of the documents at hand.
Goa-loving readers will perfectly understand that there was a deliberate move to put the Tiger Reserve plan in cold storage and finally scuttle it, after officials were proceeding towards finalising it, completely on merit and data available.
1 March 20, 2016 Meeting at Conference Hall Ponda, “for constitution of new Tiger Reserve.”
Main decision: Demarcate the continuous forested habitat of Goa’s protected area which can form the core of the future Tiger Reserve.
Three months after the Ministry of Environment and Forests wrote to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests on March 31 that it would be “in the fitness of things” to have a Tiger Reserve in the Mhadei-Cotigao complex, the high-level meeting of Forest Department officials were held in Ponda “FOR CONSTITUTION OF NEW Tiger Reserve. The meeting was held following a directive from the Conservator of Forests, Wildlife and Eco-Tourism.
According to the minutes of the meeting in possession of O Heraldo, the Deputy Conservator of Forests, Dr Anil Kumar (IFS) “explained the concept and importance of the constitution of the Tiger Reserve in Goa.”
The minutes further mentioned: “It was directed to demarcate the continuous forested habitat of Goa’s protected areas in the Western Ghats, excluding the human habitation/ villages, which can form the core of the future Tiger Reserve”
It was also decided that the Chief Forest Surveyor would prepare a “tentative Tiger Reserve map and subsequently a proposal for constitution of a new Tiger Reserve”
The minutes further noted “both the Deputy Conservator of Forests have agreed upon to provide the description to make a comprehensive proposal for constitution of new Tiger Reserve”
2 Further reiteration and direction: April 20, 2016: Letter from Conservator of Forests M K Shambhu (IFS) to Deputy Conservator directing to demarcate forested habitats to form the core of future Tiger Reserve
M K Shambhu drew attention to the National Tiger Conservation Authority letter of March 31 2016 seeking a Tiger Reserve proposal. He further wrote to his Deputy Conservator, “You are directed to demarcate the continuous forested habitat of the protected areas in the Western Ghats excluding the human habitation/villages, which can form the core of future Tiger Reserve
3 October 12, 2016: Minutes of the State Board of Wildlife attended by CM and Forest Minister
Agenda 3.7 mentioned “The Constitution of a Tiger Reserve in Goa where members discussed various impacts, provisions for protective fencing and safe movement of animals and identification of regular passages used by wild animals”
4 October 13, 2016: Proposed Tiger Reserve plan was sent to the Deputy Conservator of Forests, Working Plan Division Ponda by Dr Anil Kumar (IFS), Deputy Conservator, Tiger Reserve Plan for the Mhadei, Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park Mollem, showing the location of all habitats, all-weather roads and large habitations excluded from the Tiger Reserve was submitted “for information and necessary action”
5 December 16, 2017 Minutes of the State Board of Wildlife Chaired by Chief Minister Goa and Chairman of the Board
Under agenda 4.5, the Member Secretary informed about the proposed Tiger Reserve “for which a map has been prepared after the area was intensively studied by the Forest Department in association with wildlife expert A J T Johnsigh, retired scientist
This evidence is clearly irrefutable. There is a detailed paper trail of a series of footprints of the journey towards giving Goa its Tiger Reserve across the contiguous forests, whose very need was never debated. There wasn’t a single doubt about a Tiger Reserve “fit”, ever mentioned. Not even by a single chief minister, who is a de facto Chairperson of the State Wildlife Board.
The big questions are who stopped this journey and halted it in its tracks? Who scuttled Goa’s Tiger Reserve? And who were the forces behind them?
