PANJIM: A day after proposing that the State’s protected areas be declared as ‘tiger reserves’, the government asserted that the move will not impact the rights of the local communities, and said it is ready to consider a proposal for rehabilitation of the people living in the wildlife sanctuaries if required.
“We have no problem in doing that. If people want to be rehabilitated, then that can be considered,” Environment and Forests Minister Rajendra Arlekar told media persons on the sidelines of the valedictory function of 65th Wildlife Week on Thursday.
“The areas have not been declared as tiger reserves as yet, they are in the proposal stage. But even after declaration, everything will remain the same. There will be no impact on the activities undertaken by the locals,” the Minister clarified.
On Wednesday, the State Wildlife Board (SWB) headed by Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar had resolved to propose thedeclaration of all the protected areas in Goa – Mhadei, Mahaveer, Netravali, Molem, Cotigao and Bondla – as tiger reserve.
Cotigao WLS has over 4000 people from the tribal community residing within its limits. Mhadei WLS has 29 villages with a population of over 2250, while another 1500 people reside in the Netravali protected area.
Sources confirmed that rehabilitation of the people can be done under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. Environmentalist and member of the National Wildlife Board (NWB) Rajendra Kerkar explained that declaration of the area as a tiger reserve will have no impact on the rights of the inhabitants in the protected sites.
“As per the notification issued by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) in 2014, the rights of the people residing in eco sensitive zones of tiger reserves, remain intact, wherein they are allowed to undertake agriculture, horticulture, eco-tourism works, etc,” he said.
“At the same time, the notification gives the government powers to rehabilitate the people, if they so demand,” Kerkar said adding that the locals are prohibited from undertaking major commercial activities. He clarified that the inhabitants would have no right on illegally encroached forest areas.
