Barring any local developments, the Court ordered the CEC to hear from all parties involved within six weeks.
The Mhadei-Kotigaon area of Goa, which the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had previously designated as appropriate for a tiger reserve, was ordered by the Supreme Court on Monday to refrain from any projects or developmental activities [The State of Goa vs. The Goa Foundation & Ors].
In addition to ordering the maintenance of the status quo, a bench consisting of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, Justices K Vinod Chandran, and Atul S. Chandurkar requested that the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) hear all parties involved and provide a conclusion within six weeks.
The ruling was made in response to a plea by the State of Goa and others against an order from the Bombay High Court. In July 2024, the High Court ordered the State to create a tiger conservation plan in accordance with the Wildlife Protection Act and to declare the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and its environs a tiger reserve within three months. The NTCA was instructed to help the State finish the procedure and process its conservation plan as quickly as possible.
In addition, the High Court had issued further directives, mandating that Goa establish anti-poaching camps with guards and monitors at key places within six months and make sure that no encroachment occurred in protected forest areas during or after the notification process.
The 208 square kilometer Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary in the northeastern region of Goa, which borders Karnataka, has long been considered for increased protection status. The Center informed the Court that it had been pressing Goa to designate the sanctuary as a tiger reserve for a number of years.
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