PORVORIM: The State government has proposed to set up a State level Tree Authority — a single apex body, who will act as a principal advisor for protection, preservation and conservation of trees.
Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Monday introduced the “Goa Preservation of Trees (Amendment) Bill, 2021” that redefines the ‘tree’, with a diameter of 1.37 meters. It also proposed to omit the expressions -– Daman and Diu and Union Territory from the Act.
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The Bill states that at present there are two Tree Authorities — North and South under the principal secretary, established under the Tree Authority Act.
However, now government proposes to put in place a holistic approach with a single apex authority at the State level with more effective consequential action for protection and conservation of trees. The authority will undertake critical study of the proposals of various government departments and private bodies for various developmental projects.
The Authority, to be headed by either Chief Secretary or Principal Secretary, will have Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest , Chief Wildlife Warden as members.
Also, four members of the Legislative Assembly and two representatives of the local bodies, to be nominated by the government will be on the Authority along with Secretary Urban Development, Revenue, Panchayat, Member Secretary of Goa State Biodiversity Board and Deputy Conservator of Forests (Planning and Statistics) as member secretary.
“The Tree Authority will advise the government and all concerned for preservation of all trees within its jurisdiction,” the Bill stated.
The Authority will also have to create an enabling environment to encourage and promote tree plantation on non-forest, private land for improving quality and quantity of tree cover outside forest.
The Authority will be advising the concerned departments for planting and transplanting of trees whenever feasible, considering all relevant aspects, necessitated by construction of building, new roads or widening of existing roads or replacement of trees which have failed to come up along roads or for safeguarding danger to life and property.
The amendment also proposes to redefine the definition of the tree as “any woody plant whose branches spring from and are supported upon the trunk or the body and whose truck or body is not less than 10 centimetres in diameter at a breast height — 1.37 metres from the ground level and includes coconut palm”.
The Amendment proposes to give protection to some of the important commercial plantations and facilitate agro-forestry and farm forestry.
