PONDA: On Saturday morning, residents of Shantinagar, Ponda, mobilised to save a banyan tree from being felled near Rajagan Residency. The community had been protesting against the rampant illegal felling of rain trees in the same area. Numerous fully-grown raintrees with huge canopies had already been cut down without proper authorisation, but the united effort of green activists successfully halted the felling of the banyan tree.

Prominent local figures, including Viraj Sapre, Pramod Sawant, advocate Hridayanath Shirodkar, and Manoj Gaonkar, along with other residents, took a stand to protect the banyan tree. They emphasised the tree’s importance, noting that it provides shade, oxygen, and holds significant religious value in Hinduism. The activists called on the forest authorities to ensure the tree’s protection and to take action against those responsible for the illegal tree felling.

Following a complaint, Forest Department personnel arrived at the site and conducted a panchanama of the felled trees. The locals demanded that the Forest Minister take immediate action to address the illegal activities and ensure the preservation of the remaining trees in the area.

The activists stressed the importance of safeguarding their natural environment and called for stricter enforcement of regulations to prevent further unauthorised tree felling.

In April this year, similar protests were held in Panjim’s St Inez, where a 200-year old banyan tree was slotted for the axe, to make way for road infrastructure development as part of the Smart City Mission. Despite vehement opposition from environmentalists, who even approached the courts for relief, the tree was uprooted, as the Smart City Development Ltd had obtained the necessary clearances. The massive tree, with its branches trimmed, was relocated to the football ground in Campal, and transplanted twice, in the peak of the Goan summer. After weeks of uncertainty, the tree sprouted green shoots, and is expected to make a full recovery.