Team Herald
PANJIM: The Bombay High Court at Goa on Monday asked the State government and the Hyderabad-based Doctor Trees to file the status report on the translocation of the nine rainforest trees on National Highway-66 at Porvorim.
The Doctor Trees on Monday submitted a copy of its quotation for tree transplantation which was given to the PWD, works division VII (NH) undertaking the work of constructing six-lane elevated corridor at Porvorim.
The company had quoted total amount of Rs 12 lakh for translocating six big trees by reducing foliage to decrease water loss carefully and pruning of branches to maintain tree health and structure with trenching and root ball preparation.
On the other hand, the PWD in its report has submitted that inview of the urgency after the methodology of the Doctor Trees was found to be satisfactory, the agency was requested to commence the work. The work order dated December 10, was issued to it after completing all the codal formalities.
The translocation of the three trees viz one Peepal tree and two Alstonia Scholaris trees were completed in October this year. These three trees were translocated and planted in Socorro village and the initial observations on the trees translocated trees are positive and these trees are showing good signs of survival in the new eco-system, the PWD works division VII executive engineer stated in his report. .
Denying the allegations of the petitioner that a banyan tree was partially felled using a JCB machine without monitoring/supervision, the PWD has stated that only the branches were pruned under the guidance ofthe Doctor Trees. The pruning of branches were done using a saw and nota JCB machine. The translocation work of the same will be taken by the Doctor Trees on December 17.
As regard of two other banyan trees the location where the same would be translocated had not been finalised and inputs sought from the village panchayat were yet to be received. The PWD is in the process of identifying a suitable location and undertake the translocation exercise at the earliest.
Later, the hearing of the public interest litigation (PIL) writ petition filed by Aaron Victor E Fernandes was adjourned for Tuesday, December 17.