Goa govt's decision to challenge HC order on tiger reserve will weaken Mahadayi river case, says Congress

The Goa government’s decision to challenge the Bombay High Court order to notify Mahadayi Wildlife Sanctuary and its surrounding areas as a tiger reserve will weaken the state’s fight to save Mahadayi river, the Congress said on Sunday.

Addressing a press conference here, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Amit Patkar said that the high court’s judgement earlier this week was in the state’s favour. The Goa bench of the Bombay High Court on July 24 directed the state government to notify Mahadayi Wildlife Sanctuary and its surrounding areas as a tiger reserve and issue the notification within three months.

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Following the high court order, state Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane said the state government was exploring all options, including challenging the verdict in the Supreme Court.

“When the high court has given the judgment, it is seriously in our favour. If we want to protect our river Mahadayi. But what we are witnessing is exactly the opposite,” Patkar said.

Challenging the high court order in the Supreme Court will weaken the state’s case for saving Mahadayi river, he said.

Goa has challenged the inter-state water dispute tribunal’s verdict on sharing water from Mahadayi river with Karnataka and Maharashtra.

Patkar further alleged that wrong fears are being spread about the displacement of forest dwellers if the sanctuary is declared a tiger reserve.

“Wrong claims are being made that 10,000 to 15,000 people will be displaced if the area is declared a tiger reserve,” the Congress leader said, adding that the court in its judgment has protected the rights of forest dwellers.

“The forest department has already excluded several areas from the tiger reserve plan,” Patkar said, quoting the high court verdict stating that forest officials must run an awareness campaign to inform that the interest of tribals will not be affected once tiger reserve is notified.

“The court mentions that the plan submitted for the tiger reserve has already excluded inhabitated areas and regards the rights of schedule tribes and other forest dwellers. The rights of tribes and other forest dwellers should not be affected,” the Congress leader said.