PANJIM: The Range Forest Officer (RFO), Panjim range had on March 11 filed a First aOffence Register (FOR) against the contractor for illegally felling of trees at Siolim for the widening of the road.
RFO Mangaldas Devsekar had also seized felled trees and timber from the contractor Rafik Munna Sabji of Siolim.
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The RFO in his First Offence Register (FOR) has stated that the contractor had committed an offence by illegally cutting 35 trees along the road side from Siolim HP petrol pump to SFX High School at Siolim, Bardez thereby violating Section 8 of Preservation of Trees Act, 1984.
The RFO had also seized the felled trees and the wood which consists of first class round timber of 0.432 cubic metres; second class round timber with wood content of 0.252 cubic metres, third class round timber with 6.269 cubic metres and firewood of approximately 35 cubic metres.
The matter has been reported to the Divisional Forest Officer, Ponda for appropriate action.
The investigations have so far revealed that the contractor was granted all the permissions last year which lapsed before he started cutting trees for road widening. According to the Forest Department, the contractor has now been booked under sections of Preservation of Trees Act.
Outsiders protesting against tree felling: MLA Michael Lobo
Lobo says ”Only four old mango trees were felled”; cites easing of traffic flow as reason for road widening
PANJIM: Calangute MLA Michael Lobo on Thursday claimed only four old mango trees were felled for the expansion of road at Siolim and alleged that some persons and environmentalists were creating a big cry over the issue.
Reacting to the High Court staying the felling of trees at Siolim, Lobo told O Heraldo that the Siolim-Marna village panchayat will now file an intervention application along with an affidavit assuring that it will plant four saplings for every tree felled.
Lobo claimed that the road needed to be widened in order to ease the increasing traffic in the coastal areas. The villagers were often complaining that it was becoming difficult for an ambulance to reach the village due to frequent traffic jams. “From Assagao junction up to bridge road it was taking more than hour when the distance can be covered in maximum seven minutes,” he said.
According to Lobo, the road expansion work from Siolim to Chopdem up to the Circle had been completed and there too trees were felled. But nobody complained, he said adding that “few people mostly outsiders and environmentalists” raised their objection when the work of road widening was taken up near the Siolim market and SFX school area.
Lobo recalled, “In the past more than 150 trees were felled to widen Mapusa to Calangute road. I don’t get pleasure to cut trees. But it was necessary to ease increasing traffic chaos.”
“Who are talking about cutting of trees? They are the people who are senior citizens and who no longer need an ambulance. It is outsiders and environmentalists who are speaking against it and not the locals,” he said.
On the other hand, Lobo’s wife Delialah Lobo, who is representing the Siolim constituency declined to comment over the issue.
