Team Herald
MARGAO: “The government is committing a crime against nature and environment,” quipped Congress MLA Luizinho Faleiro when asked to comment on the proposed cutting of 50,000 trees at Mopa airport site.
He recalled that in 1980 when he was elected as MLA for the first time, he was aghast to see the balding hillocks in Goa as the forest lobby that controlled the government then went about chopping trees thereby denuding the forests.
“The around 60 per cent forest cover of Goa was reduced to less than 30 per cent and that compelled me to move a private member’s bill to protect the trees,” he said adding that then chief minister Pratapsing Rane supported him and moved a similar bill.
Both the bills were referred to a select committee and based on that committee’s report the Goa, Daman and Diu Preservation of Trees Act was passed which makes it mandatory for anybody to plant three or four more trees for every tree that is cut.
“If the government permits cutting of trees it should also demand that they be compensated by planting more trees,” he said adding that the alternate place where the plants would be planted in lieu of those that will be chopped at Mopa has to be made public.
