Goa, Sept. 9 -- The Supreme Court has delivered a major setback to theGoa governmentin the ongoing dispute over the proposed Tiger Reserve in the Mhadei region, siding with environmentalists and advocates from theGoa Foundation. On September 8, 2025, the Court ordered a status quo on all land and development activities in the protected areas earmarked for the Tiger Reserve, effectively halting Goa's aggressive push for eco-tourism and other projects in ecologically sensitive zones. The case was referred to the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), which will hear all stakeholders and submit a feasibility report within six weeks.

A bench led by Chief Justice BR Gavai ordered that no further development or project approvals would be allowed i...