Environmental activists and concerned citizens successfully saved a 40-year-old Rain tree with a sprawling canopy near the Carvalho petrol pump in Mapusa on Thursday, preventing it from being felled by the Public Works Department (PWD).
In a coordinated effort, the PWD also agreed to halt further tree cutting along the Mapusa-Parra road. Some previously cut trees will be translocated, while others that were heavily trimmed will remain intact. The PWD has committed to removing the tar around the trees to prevent damage to their girth, in compliance with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directive to maintain a one-meter radius around each tree.
Claude Alvares and Senior Advocate Norma Alvares intervened to speak with Goa Advocate General Devidas Pangam, urging the authorities to stop the tree felling. The Goa Green Brigade and local citizens promptly joined the resistance movement.
Notably, while the Forest Department had given permission to cut 21 trees, PWD had marked 27 for felling, prompting protests.
This development follows the Bombay High Court’s direction in the Siolim trees PIL, instructing the Goa government to form a committee—including Senior Advocate Norma Alvares—to implement compensatory forestry plans and ensure the survival of heritage and newly planted trees.
Avertino Miranda, convenor of the Goa Green Brigade, expressed gratitude to all who participated in the effort to protect the trees.