Team Herald
PANJIM: Green and social activists on Sunday alleged that politics is being played over relocation of the centuries-old banyan tree at Vadakade, Porvorim.
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Speaking to mediaperons, social activist Xencor Polgi said, “The current State government is not for the common people of Goa, but for the people of Delhi. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has no control over the administration. If he had control then he would have given justice to the people of Porvorim.”
Polgi said, “If Pramod Sawant is a decision maker then he should take a decision in the favour of the people of Porvorim and save this tree. The indifferent attitude of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) towards this tree shows that it is not serious about Hindutva. The party and its members are only interested in their interests and political benefits.”
Activist Dipesh Naik said, “The government must understand the tree is the identity of the people of Porvorim. It has been providing shelter to our ancestors. Gram sabhas used to be held here. It is so unfortunate that in spite of visiting Delhi and requesting several times, the government just refused to pay heed to the issue. What else does the government want us to do?”
Translocated banyan tree at Campal still alive: Botanist
PANJIM: Dispelling earlier concerns about the translocated banyan tree’s condition at the football ground at Campal, Botanist Daniel D’Souza on Sunday claimed that it was still alive. He said that sap oozing from the tree and new plant growth underneath confirm the vitality of the tree which was translocated from its original location at St Inez.
The tree was translocated in April last year as part of a project by IPSCDL, but in June, the tree did not show signs of vitality. Daniel D’Souza said in a video that some parts of the tree are still alive and sap is oozing out from there.
He said, “I would say 70% of the banyan tree is dried up and only 30% is alive. It is also important to note that there is growth of the tree from lower parts of the stem.”
“It must be noted that it was doing extremely well, but the heavy downpour this year has affected the tree’s growth,” he said.
The 200-year-old tree, which was felled for the ongoing Smart City work at St Inez, was translocated at football ground at Campal, despite vehement protest held by Greens.
They claimed that the tree was not coming in the way of the Smart City work and it was part of the efforts made by the authorities to remove trees from the streets in the capital city.
