Team Herald
MAPUSA: A delegation of the Goa Green Brigade, Goencho Avaaz along with few residents of Colvale on Monday met Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant at the Secretariat and requested him to protect the 200-year-old heritage mango trees at Colvale from being damaged or cut due to the road widening work.
Both the NGOs submitted memorandums to the chief minister.
The memorandums highlighted that the works of the expansion of National Highway (NH) 17 road in Colvale in particular and in different parts of Goa is causing serious consequences to the environment and its biodiversity. Several age-old heritage trees are facing the axe and have uprooted due to reckless cutting, digging and use of heavy earthmoving machines close to the roots by the road contractors/builders of these road projects without any vision and planning to align the road expansion to save these trees.
The memorandums also pointed out that the Public Works Department (PWD), Government of Goa engineers who are responsible in the supervision and implementation of the NH 17 expansion of roads in Goa have failed to ensure the protection of the age-old heritage trees. The damage and cutting of these trees pose a serious environmental threat due to destruction of biodiversity as these trees not only provide us with oxygen, but also are the nesting and breeding sites for birds, reptiles, insects, butterflies, bees and a wide range of biodiversity thrives on it.
The memorandums requested for re-alignment of the Colvale road to save the age-old mango trees. They also asked CM to direct MVR Infra to plant new coconut trees five times the number they have cut on the Guirim Highway and ensure they look after the trees with manure and watering for the next ten years.
At the same time make MVR Infra pay for the Tree Protection Fund as required under Sections 10 and 35-A of the Goa Daman & Diu Preservation of Trees Act, 1984.
Goa Green Brigade coordinator Avertino Miranda informed Herald the CM has agreed not to touch the trees. “Members of Goa Green Brigade will soon sit with the Chief Principal Engineer to rework on the alignment of the highway widening work at Colvale to save the age-old mango trees. With regard to the Guirim coconut trees, CM has instructed his officials to remove all the debris dumped within a metre radius from the roots,” said Miranda.
