Panaji, Jul 14 (PTI) The Mhadei Bachao Abhiyaan on Friday criticised the Goa government for its alleged reluctance in declaring the state's forests as a tiger reserve.

The State Wildlife Board, in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday, had rejected tiger reserve demands made by several non-government organisations (NGOs).

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"If the tiger reserve demand was accepted, then it would have strengthened Goa's case against Karnataka in the Mhadei river dispute. One step would have solved the entire issue. The state government's refusal is another nail in the coffin of Mhadei river," MBA president Nirmala Sawant told reporters here.

Goa and Karnataka are embroiled in a dispute over the sharing of Mahdei river water and the former has often accused its southern neighbour of going ahead with construction unilaterally by ignoring norms.

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She also said declaring the state's forests as tiger reserve would have also gone a long way in protecting the Western Ghats.

The Mhadei Bachao Abhiyaan had pioneered the 'save Mhadei' movement in the state.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)