AUGUSTO RODRIGUES
Acting on the report of a Spe cial Committee appointed in PIL WP No. 1617 of 2026, the Goa Bench of the Bom bay High Court has direct ed the Executive Engineer, PWD (National Highways), to proceed with the felling of 60 trees and the translo cation of 193 trees, shrubs and young plants affected by the highway expansion project. Of the 80 trees originally marked for felling, the Spe cial Committee recommend ed that 20 be translocated. These will be added to 53 other trees already identified for translocation after two of the 55 initially selected were found dead. The committee also recommended the re location of 120 shrubs and young trees found along the highway stretch during its inspection. “In Toto,” the order passed by Justice Valmiki Menezes and Justice Hit en S Venegavkar states, “therefore 53 plus, 20 trees, and 120 shrubs/ young trees are to be trans-located from the stretch of the Highway, for which purpose the Exec utive Engineer, PWD (Na tional Highways), shall appoint an agency that has the expertise for complet ing the work of transloca tion of these trees.” “The PWD may also consider suggestions made of names of such agencies by the Petitioner, which shall be a final prerogative of the Executive Engineer PWD, to appoint/ award the contract of such translocation,” the order stated. “We expect that this process of appointing such agencies would be complete within two months from today. The Executive Engineer PWD (National Highway) shall place before this court a report as to the methodology that the agency appointed would undertake for such translocation,” the court further directed. “Needless to state the recommendations made by the appointed committee, both as far as the process of trans location of trees/shrubs are concerned, and the location where they are to be trans-located or where trees are re quired to be planted and all other recommendations shall be taken into consideration by both the Executive Engineer PWD and such agencies that are appointed for the purpose of carrying out the trans-location or replanting of trees,” the order concluded. The 15-page report, submitted to the High Court on Wednesday by the three-member committee, found land earmarked for tree translocation at Survey Nos 95/1 and 96 in Mercurim village — comprising an open space of 4,042.79 square metres — suitable for the purpose. The committee’s report is recommendatory in nature and begins by suggesting that “certain trees identified and marked for felling among the eighty Standing Trees, could be attempted for translocation after taking into considera tion of the following aspects: “Native tree species, feasibility of translocation, surviv al potential of the Tress species to be trans-located in the alternate site, literature available on the successful trans location attempts carried out in India and age and girth of the tree.” Of the 20 trees recommended for translocation from the 80 standing trees, two are located in Cortalim village, while nine each are in Nagoa and Verna. Eight of the 20 are coco nut trees — three in Nagoa and five in Verna. Wild guava, badam, moshing (drumstick), cluster fig and a freshwater mangrove are among the species recom mended for translocation. The report further notes: “The Joint Committee of Forest and Goa State Biodiversity Board (GSBB) earlier have not recommended for translocation of certain trees due to edaphic and site factors.” (According to the Oxford Dictionary, “edaphic” means: “Ecology of, pro duced by, or influenced by the soil.”) The committee endorsed the translocation of trees to the site identified by the Public Works Department and ad vised that the department should “follow standard proto col thereby ensuring the survival of the trans-located trees and shrubs.” “The committee recommends that the trans-located trees and shrubs be systematically monitored for a minimum pe riod of five years for documentation of growth parameters and survival of future studies,” the report states. It also “recommended for formulating a Goa State Specific Guide lines for translocation of trees, after taking inputs from all stakeholder departments and expert consultations.” During hearings in PIL WP No 1617 of 2026 (F), peti tioners had asserted that six trees translocated during an earlier highway augmentation project in Porvorim failed to survive. Noted Goan environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar expressed reservations about large-scale translocation, de scribing it as an expensive exercise that India lacks the ca pacity to undertake effectively.“They (PWD officials) tried translocation some time back and I think just one or two trees out of many survived,” he claimed. Kerkar believes felling and compensatory plantation may be a more practical option. “If any tree is cut, they should take the initiative to plant the same species of trees. Exotic species should be ignored and instead indigenous species should be opted for,” he said. “King Ashoka planted fruit trees along the highways and people still benefit from them today and that is one rea son why he is still remembered as a great ruler. Apart from providing shade, indigenous plants provide food through fruit,” concluded Kerkar.
