PANAJI
While on one side Goa is battling an uphill task to settle close to thousand cases of rights and claims to declare Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) as Tiger Reserve, the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) has taken cognizance of several States including Goa for failing to demarcate and notify its protected areas pending settlement of rights under the Wildlife Protection Act.
The Standing Committee has requested the Union Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to issue an advisory to all States/Union Territories to settle all rights and claims and issue final notifications at the earliest.
Goa -- having declared its first WLS, Bhagwan Mahavir, way back in 1969 -- is yet to demarcate its protected boundaries even five decades later. The protected areas of Mollem National Park, Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary too don’t have demarcated boundaries till date.
During its Standing Committee meeting held last week, the Inspector General of Forests, Forest Conservation Division pointed out that there are many sanctuaries and National Parks where such rights and claims have not been settled and final notifications have not been issued.
The officer mentioned that the rights and claims are enquired into and settled during the process of notification of sanctuaries and National Parks.
In yet another decision, Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, who is also the chairman of the Standing Committee, pointed out that a proper Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) should be laid down for granting permissions to the religious institutions for temples or sacred caves or other religious monuments, located within the protected areas, and are worshiped by the dwellers.
He said that there are sacred caves and religious places inside forests and wildlife areas which find mention in religious texts and the followers decide to develop these areas as a matter of faith.
In Goa, the WLSs and national park -- declared protected areas just based on preliminary notification -- have got close to 2,000 claims of dwellers to be settled under the Wildlife Protection Act, a mandatory clause to be adhered to before going ahead with the demarcation of the protected boundaries.
As per records from October 23, 2023 to July 30, 2024 only seven cases were disposed by the Revenue Officer-cum-Collector (ROC) Netravali, one by the ROC of Bhagwan Mahavir WLS and not a single case disposed by ROC Mhadei.
The matter pertaining to declaring Mhadei WLS and its surrounding areas as Tiger Reserve is currently being heard by the High Court. State, which is facing the contempt plea, had initially sought time till July 2024 to settle all the claims; however it failed to do so.
The State’s second biggest wildlife sanctuary -- Mhadei, spread across 208 sq km and declared as a protected area in 1999 -- has around 8,500 people residing within the sanctuary housing close to 25 villages.
Declared in 1969, the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary, a 133 sq km area has a human population of around 4,500, while the Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary has another 1200-odd people living within the protected areas. Netravali, the State’s largest sanctuary having a total area of 211 sq kms, was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1978 through a draft notification.
The Bombay High Court at Goa, during its judgment on Tiger Reserve, slammed the Forest department for failing to determine and settle the rights and claims of various dwellers.
“The Section 18 (1) notification for Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary was issued in 1967; for Mhadei and Netravali Wildlife Sanctuaries in 1999. However, to date, ie, for 56 and 24 years respectively, the State government has not bothered to settle the rights and claims of forest dwellers,” the Court had observed.
