Sprawled across a 240 sq km protected area, located in the Western Ghats in Sanguem taluk, the Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park in Goa are rich in rare flora and fauna. The area, which contains pristine vegetation classified as West Coast tropical evergreen forests, West Coast semi-evergreen forests and moist deciduous forests, was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1969. The parkland contains several geological, cultural attractions that make it a popular destination in the state of Goa. "Dudhsagar Falls, which is Goa's tallest waterfall and India's fifth tallest, is located in the same area. While the waterfall remains shut during the monsoon, it sees about 2,000 tourists every day from October to May. These travellers include both foreigners and Indians of all age groups. But soon, this is going to come to end," rues Aakash Madgavkar, executive member, managing committee of the Travel & Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG).

Goa is set to lose around 55,000 trees and 185 hectares of forest cover for three projects—widening of the existing National Highway 4A, railway line double-tracking and construction of a new power line. Following the clearances of these projects in June this year, a group of 149 scientists, academicians, conservationists, artists, allied professionals as well as concerned citizens wrote to India's Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar stating that the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park in Goa together are a "treasure trove of flora and fauna, and is part of a larger contiguous forest and an important tiger corridor between Goa and the adjoining Kali Tiger Reserve in Karnataka." "The Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park, parts of which are located in Mollem and Kalay Panchayat, provide a wealth of provisioning services. The protected area and its surrounding natural areas have been a source of timber, medicinal plants, culturally important wild plants and sacred plants and groves to the people of Mollem and Kalay Panchayats. Should these projects sanctioned by the MoEFCC go ahead, water scarcity will increase not just in Mollem Panchayat, but also across Goa since these forests contribute water to Khanderpar River through provisioning and regulating services. Their impact will be further compounded by climate change and associated natural disasters," reads the letter.