Panaji: State govt told Supreme Court that the Central Empowered Committee on tiger reserve in Goa was “erroneous”.In its affidavit, it said the report was “erroneous” and “vague”, lacked scientific, legal and ecological justification, and ought not to be considered.The affidavit, filed by additional principal chief conservator of forests and chief wildlife warden K Ramesh Kumar, IFS, on behalf of state govt, submitted to Supreme Court that the CEC should leave the decision to state for inclusion and exclusion of areas as a tiger reserve, given localised challenges and its full awareness of the extent of habitation.State govt said that the CEC recommendations spoke of protecting the already existing tiger population in Kali Tiger Reserve and affirmed that tigers of Kali Tiger Reserve were merely transient to protected areas in Goa and “do not reside or use the areas for breeding activities”.State govt stated that protected areas were already scientifically managed and ensured all-round protection of all species, including tigers, and did not need to be notified as a tiger reserve solely for the purpose of conservation of tigers.“Goa’s wildlife sanctuaries and national park ensure and accord an excellent corridor for tiger movement between Karnataka and Maharashtra, which the CEC failed to note,” state govt said.The affidavit said that the CEC completely failed to undertake any meaningful exercise to ascertain the presence of a tiger population (whether permanent or transient) in the Cotigao-Mhadei forest complex. Such an inquiry was fundamental to the question referred to the CEC, state govt said.The CEC proceeded on an erroneous premise by focusing on the population of local inhabitants rather than first determining the existence and status of the tiger population, the affidavit said, adding that the thrust of the recommendations contained in the report was to protect the already existing tiger population in Kali Tiger Reserve.“Given the lack of resident and breeding tigers, the mere presence of a few transient tigers passing through the area does not, by itself, necessitate declaring the area as a tiger reserve, when the protections afforded to such an area are in itself sufficient towards ensuring adequate safeguards to the transit of tigers, and other animals, as envisioned through WLPA 1972,” state govt said.Directing the declaration of a tiger reserve in Goa would not only prove to be superfluous but also lead to several other issues, “including but not limited to resentment from local inhabitants towards resettlement, increase in man-animal conflicts, etc”, state govt said.
