MAPUSA: The Goa Green Brigade has written to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests at Panjim urging to revoke the permission granted for cutting of trees in a private property in Kursawado, at Assagao.
After the panchanama was conducted it came to light that four other trees were already cut illegally by the owner without permission on last Wednesday.
The letter written by the Goa Green Brigade stated that on May 6, the Assistant Conservator of Forest, North Goa Division, Ponda had issued permission to an individual to fell 60 trees in a private property at Assagao. Without assigning any reason and in a very arbitrary manner, this permission was extended for a period of 30 days via another letter on September 16, following a letter by the owner dated July 10, at the Ponda office.
Demanding urgent action, the Co-ordinator of Goa Green Brigade Avertino Miranda telephonically complained to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests over the cutting of four coconut trees which were not part of the 60 trees permitted to be cut in the said property.
“He was kind enough to send a team of forest officials who conducted panchanama at the site and found four coconut trees and a teak tree cut on Wednesday afternoon and seized the equipment used in the cutting of the trees. The serious violation of illegal trees being cut in this private property in Assagao compels us to demand the revocation of the licence/permission issued to the owner to cut the 60 trees as we fear that this violator is likely to cut more trees as he has already butchered four trees at the same time we also demanded that strong action should be initiated against him as per law,” said Miranda.
The Goa Green Brigade opines that this reckless cutting of trees in Assagao with impunity is sending a wrong message in the village that one can go scot free with this crime. In this context, the letter has also highlighted that on taking advantage of the weekend on Saturday, three large trees were cut illegally in another property in Bairo Alto Vaddo at Assagao.
