The Case for a Tiger Reserve in Goa

Nov. 30, 2025

Why in news?

The Supreme Court’s Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has advised the Goa government to create a tiger reserve in the State.

It suggested doing this in a phased manner, indicating a gradual approach to setting up the reserve.

What’s in Today’s Article?

Why the CEC Recommended a Tiger Reserve in Goa?

The CEC’s recommendation is rooted in earlier judicial and conservation actions.
In July 2023, the Bombay High Court directed the Goa government to declare five protected areas as a tiger reserve within three months.
These five protected areas were:
- Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary,
- Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary,
- Bhagwan Mahavir National Park,
- Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary, and
- Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary.
The order followed a petition by the Goa Foundation after a tigress and her three cubs were allegedly poisoned in the Mhadei Sanctuary in 2020.
The Court also asked the State to prepare a Tiger Conservation Plan and settle the rights of Scheduled Tribes and forest dwellers.
Notably, the National Tiger Conservation Authority had already recommended these areas for tiger reserve status in 2016.

How the Goa Government Responded to the Tiger Reserve Order?

The Goa government challenged the High Court’s directive by filing a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court, claiming that declaring the areas as a tiger reserve would affect nearly one lakh people.
- However, its own affidavit later revealed a much smaller number — roughly 1,274 households across 33 villages, amounting to 5,000–6,000 people.
The State also argued that Goa had no “resident” tigers and that those seen in its forests were merely “transient.”
- This stance contradicted its 2018 submission before the Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal, where it had asserted evidence of a resident tiger population.
- It had, then, described Goa’s forests as part of a contiguous tiger landscape linked to Karnataka’s Kali Tiger Reserve and Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary.
Due to these conflicting claims, the Supreme Court asked the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to conduct a site visit and examine the matter.

CEC Recommendation for Goa’s Tiger Reserve

The CEC’s report acknowledged fears among local residents about displacement and stressed that the Goa government must reassure affected communities.
It proposed creating the tiger reserve in phases, beginning with areas that are ecologically sensitive, least inhabited, and directly connected to Karnataka’s Kali Tiger Reserve, which has a permanent tiger presence.
Core Zone (Phase 1)
- Include protected areas contiguous with Kali’s core area
- Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary — 50 households
- Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary — 41 households
- Total core area recommended: 296.7 sq km
Buffer Zone (Phase 1)
- Include areas adjoining the buffer zone of Kali Tiger Reserve with minimal habitation
- Northern Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary — 9 households
- Bhagwan Mahavir National Park — 2 households
The CEC said this phased approach would minimise community disturbance while strengthening landscape connectivity and ecological functionality across the Goa–Karnataka tiger habitat network.

Why the Tiger Reserve Designation Matters?

Declaring an area a tiger reserve brings in greater funding for conservation, research, and habitat management compared to existing wildlife sanctuaries.
It also requires dividing the landscape into core and buffer zones.
- Core zones must remain inviolate, meaning human presence is discouraged. Residents cannot be forced out, but they may be offered incentives to voluntarily relocate.
- Buffer zones allow regulated human activities and do not need to be free of habitation.
This zoning helps strengthen tiger protection while balancing community interests.

How a Tiger Reserve Is Declared in India?

To create a tiger reserve, the state government first identifies a suitable area and submits a detailed proposal to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
The NTCA evaluates the site’s ecological suitability and tiger habitat potential, then forwards its recommendation to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
Following this, the state issues a preliminary notification, invites and addresses objections, and finally issues a formal notification under Section 38V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, officially designating the area as a tiger reserve.