Central Empowered Committee recommendation

New Delhi: The Central Empowered Committee (CEC), appointed by the Supreme Court, has recommended that the Male Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary (MM Hills) be declared a Tiger Reserve, citing its ideal habitat and potential to support a thriving tiger population.

The recommendation comes in the wake of the recent deaths of five tigers in the Hoogyam Range of the sanctuary. The committee conducted a detailed investigation and submitted a 55-page report to the apex court, emphasising the need for a comprehensive conservation strategy to address recurring incidents of tiger mortality across the Western Ghats.

The Male Mahadeshwara hills, together with the Hanur and Yedeyaralli Reserved Forests, were merged into a 906 sq. km protected area and declared a wildlife sanctuary in 2013.

Recognising its ecological importance, the Karnataka Forest Department submitted a proposal to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in 2017–18 to upgrade the sanctuary into a Tiger Reserve. The State Wildlife Board approved the proposal in 2019.

However, the NTCA initially returned the proposal, seeking clearer details about human settlements and residential zones within the sanctuary. After addressing these concerns, the State submitted a revised proposal, completing all procedural requirements for the declaration.

Following the recent tiger deaths, a special NTCA inquiry team conducted its own investigation and also recommended Tiger Reserve status for the sanctuary.

With strong backing from both the NTCA and the Supreme Court-appointed CEC, the push to officially designate the Male Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary as a Tiger Reserve has gained renewed urgency, marking a critical step for tiger conservation efforts in Karnataka.