THE GOAN NETWORK | VALPOI
Concerned that the High Court’s order directing the State government to notify the Mhadei Wild Life Sanctuary (WLS) as a Tiger Reserve would adversely affect them, people across Sattari are still awaiting clarity from the forest department on the number and identity of those who would be affected in the taluka.
The people have, however, adopted a cautious approach and are also waiting for the State government’s action in the matter, before they decide their further course of action.
Locals have complained that though 24 years have passed since the notification of the Mhadei WLS in 1999, land rights claims are still pending and there have been no efforts to resolve the same.
Clashes in the area
For the last few years, Sattari locals have been clashing with the forest department over demands for land ownership rights and the exclusion of villages from the WLS.
On May 12, 2021, clashes between locals and forest officials left the range forest officer and three locals injured at Bandirwada-Savarde. The RFO is also reported to have fired in the air to disperse the irate crowd, as agitated locals also blocked vehicles of the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary for over five hours.
Voices of dissent
“People in 32 villages of Sattari have been opposing the Mhadei WLS since it was notified. However, this notification has not been cancelled and to make matters worse for the people, a Tiger Reserve is now being notified. This will create further difficulties for the people in Sattari taluka. We welcome Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane's opposition in this regard and we will stand firmly behind him,” said the president of Sattari Bhoomiputra Sangathan Harishchandra Gawas.
Hailing the stand taken by Forest Minister & local MLA Vishwajit Rane, a farmer, Ashok Joshi, said it is in the interest of farmers of Sattari.
“We do not need a Tiger Reserve. We, natives of Sattari, have been relying on agriculture and horticulture for a livelihood in the area for hundreds of years. Wild animals like monkeys and bison have been destroying our plantations. Now, this Tiger Reserve will be yet another blow for us farmers,” said Joshi.
Another farmer, Ram Ozrekar, warned that they would not tolerate any project imposed on them without taking the locals into confidence
“The boundaries of the WLS as well as the boundaries of the buffer zone should be immediately determined by the forest department. The private lands in Sattari have also been included in the buffer zone by the forest department. As a result, one cannot cut down a tree in the garden and use the timber for one's own house. The forest department and government authorities should visit the areas and solve problems of the people in the buffer zone,” said Ozrekar.
An artist, Zilu Gaonkar said people living in the villages which lie in the buffer zone of the WLS have been involved in agriculture, horticulture and cashew plantations, but have been facing various problems due to the heavy-handed policy of the forest department.
“Therefore, there is opposition to the Tiger Reserve,” said Gaonkar.
A farmer, Krishna Gawde, said those advocating the need for a Tiger Reserve should first visit Sattari taluka to understand the ground realities.
“Forest department officials have submitted material on record to the High Court already excluding the high-habitation areas from the proposed tiger reserve when preparing the plan. If the forest department officials claim to have ensured that most habitation areas are already excluded from the core area of the proposed tiger reserve, why have they not made these details public? We demand to know how many families will be affected by the Tiger Reserve,” said Gawde.
Batu Gawde of Caranzol-Sattari also strongly opposed the verdict of the High Court.
“At present, a vast number of people in Sattari taluka still earn their livelihood from the forest in the taluka. Their lives and livelihoods will be ruined by the notification of the Tiger Reserve. We urge the State government to challenge the matter before the Supreme Court,” he said.
