Nagpur: The Maharashtra government on Thursday started the process in the Supreme Court to get approval for setting up a wildlife rescue centre inside the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve. The proposed centre is expected to become a dedicated rehabilitation facility similar to the Gorewada rescue centre in Nagpur.
The update was shared before the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court during the hearing of a suo motu PIL related to the worsening health condition of ‘Chhota Matka’, a tiger from the buffer zone of Tadoba National Park.
A division bench of Justices Anil Kilor and Raj Wakode was informed that the state government has approved the filing of an interlocutory application in the Supreme Court, where a related case about the project is already pending.
Advocate Yashowardhan Sambre is serving as amicus curiae in the PIL, while SN Rao represented the state government during the hearing.
The proposed rescue centre is planned to provide treatment, rehabilitation and monitoring facilities for injured, rescued and conflict-affected wild animals from the Tadoba landscape, which is one of India’s major tiger habitats.
During the hearing, the court-appointed amicus curiae requested the bench to speed up the establishment of the centre, stressing the urgent need for a specialised wildlife facility within the reserve. Earlier, the high court had also asked the Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra Limited (FDCM) to clarify the expected timeline for completing the project.
The Maharashtra government informed the court that all details related to the proposed construction now need to be submitted before the Supreme Court as part of the ongoing proceedings. With the approval process now in motion, the project is waiting for clearance from the apex court.
The case will be heard again after the court reopens following the summer vacation.
