Under the direction of the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, New Delhi, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has requested that the Goa government act on the proposal to designate Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary as a tiger reserve.
This follows a letter from South Goa MP Viriato Fernandes to the ministry on August 13, highlighting the need for tigers to be protected, as demanded by schoolchildren.
The union minister concerned stated, "The NTCA has communicated the matter to the state government for consideration and needful action. The NICA shall proceed in accordance with the applicable Acts and procedures upon receipt of a proposal from the state".
Fernandes wrote in his letter that the NTCA had previously suggested demarcation of a tiger reserve in Goa. He also cited an order from the High Court that required the state government to implement the reserve within three months, but nothing was done about it until more than a year ago.
"The tiger's survival is in jeopardy, and it is our enormous duty as elected officials to make sure that this animal survives the challenges of contemporary development," Fernandes declared. The letter also brought up the necessity of creating a tiger reserve because human activity has encroached upon tigers' natural habitats, which are forests and sanctuaries.