The Central Empowered Committee (CEC), a three-member panel led by C P Goyal, Dr J R Bhatt, and Sunil Limaye, is set to arrive in Goa on October 16 for a hands-on study of the ongoing Tiger Reserve issue. The panel’s visit follows a Supreme Court directive to file a report by the end of October 2025 in relation to the High Court of Bombay at Goa’s July 2023 order directing the government to notify the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and surrounding areas as a tiger reserve.
The state government has appealed the High Court decision, arguing that creating an inviolate core zone would require relocating over one lakh residents to protect the small population of 4-5 tigers. State representatives have maintained that the Mhadei area functions primarily as a corridor for tigers moving between Maharashtra and Karnataka and not as a habitat for resident tigers, contesting the need for a tiger reserve designation.
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Meanwhile, conservation groups like the Goa Foundation, led by Dr Claude Alvares, contend the proposed reserve would form part of a larger tiger conservation corridor that includes Karnataka and Maharashtra protected zones, extending to the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve.
The CEC commenced hearings in New Delhi last month and will submit its findings to the Supreme Court ahead of a critical hearing scheduled for November 12, 2025. This decision could shape the future of tiger conservation in Goa, balancing ecological protection with the rights and livelihoods of local communities.
