Team Herald
PANJIM: Sounding pessimistic on the survival of the age-old banyan tree at Vadakade, Porvorim, environmentalists said that the State just does not have the expertise to transplant or translocate huge trees, since all five transplanted trees are in a precarious state.
A joint inspection to initiate measures to save and protect the banyan tree at Vodakade is scheduled on Tuesday, February 18,
As per the directives of the High Court, the joint inspection will be carried out by the officials of Forest Department and representatives of Doctor Trees, landscape designer and ecological consultant Parag Mody, PWD, road contractor and the petitioner Aaron Victor E Fernandes.
The inspection report will be submitted to the High Court during the next hearing fixed on February 20.
The Khapreshwar Temple Committee and the environmentalists have strongly opposed the move to translocate the huge banyan tree at Porvorim, at the place which is known by the tree name ‘Vodakade.’
According to social activist and environmentalist Avertino Miranda, the State just does not have the expertise to transplant or translocate huge trees, thus destroying precious heritage trees.
The five trees which were translocated in the fields are almost dead and their survival chances are very bleak, he said.
Similar is the sordid state of banyan tree transplanted from St Inez to Campal grounds; the transplanted tree at Arambol, the transplanted tree at Siolim and the transplanted tree at Calangute. All these transplanted trees have died.
The five trees which are translocated in low-lying fields at Socorro are two each banyan trees and
Alstonias Scholaris and one Pipal tree.
These trees were translocated by a third party Hyderabad-based Doctor Trees, and that immediate action was required in this regard.
Petitioner Aaron Victor E Fernandes has now submitted in the High Court, a report prepared by a landscape designer and ecological consultant Parag Mody, on the status of translocation of five trees at Porvorim.
Mody in his report has suggested several measures and to involve qualified professionals with experience in arboriculture and ecological restoration for future tree translocation.
The rainforest trees translocated so far in the low-lying field in Socorro are one Alstonias Scholaris, one Pipal tree and three banyan trees translocated so far.
All the 5 translocated trees are in a precarious State and the chances of survival are very low.