PRATIK PARAB
MARGAO: Over 2900 trees have been felled in South Goa for various road development works in the last one year. Most of the trees have made way for the western bypass, the missing link from Verna to Loutolim and thousands more for the approach road and for the Zuari Bridge work.
That’s not it. The government is now planning to fell another 1100 trees from a forest area between Verna and Loutolim.
The South Goa office of the Forest Department has, in a matter of one year, issued no objection certificates (NOCs) for the felling of over 2900 trees in the district. Principal Conservator of Forests Ajai Saxena said, “There are provisions for replanting under TTA and most of the land is private land belonging to highways. The permissions are given and rules are followed, and replanting is done.”
Deputy Conservator of Forests South Goa Anil Shetgaonkar has a similar view. He said, “They approached us with proper permissions and guidelines and we have to issue them NOCs. We are giving permissions on the assurance of replanting.”
But, environmentalists allege that like in the past this time too nobody is going to honour the mandate of forest preservation and replant trees.
Green activist Abhijit Prabhudessai said, “There may be a clause for replanting but no one follows the mandate. We are 100 per cent sure no one is doing any replanting because of the over development and the inability of government to replant the trees.”
Prabhudessai said that the track record of the PWD and the GSIDC is 0 per cent in replanting trees cut for their projects and called for a stop of issuing permissions to tree cutting until the past ones are complied upon.
Sources said that most of the agencies who cut trees have never honoured the mandate of replanting double the number of trees and handing over land to forests. Hence, every time a government project comes up, the environment is the loser.
Asked whether the replanting has been monitored Shetgaonkar said, “This has to be checked as the government departments are duty bound to replant.”
But there’s more to come. About 1100 trees spread in a private forest area of five hectares after Verna Industrial Estate are feared to go under the axe of the PWD for development of a missing road link. This link is supposedly planned to reduce the distance by seven kilometres which will allow motorists to cover that distance in three minutes. This forest has been an undisturbed habitat for a large section of the wildlife and acts as a balance adjoining the industrial estate
Since the number of trees and area involved is high, the case has been referred to the MoEF core committee. However, it is learnt that permission for the felling of the trees may eventually come due to immense government pressure.
Asked regarding the missing link development permission sought for felling of 1100 trees, Shetgaonkar said, “There were other ways to circumvent the removal of so many trees but it is a government project.”
Along with trees several water bodies starting from Verna till Colva and ahead have gone under the gravel of the Nuvem bypass.
Prabhudessai said, “The impact of the felling is going to be tremendous, both local and global. Along with tremendous impact on wildlife, the cutting will impact even the water table.”
Nuvem villagers and those around the new Western Bypass are against the cutting of trees. “Our water bodies have got divided, our fields will never be of same fertility anymore and what is the benefit going to be? The stretch of road constructed will be crossed in a matter of minute or two and that’s all,” said Caetano Fernandes.
But the fields and the water table will go for ever.
