Calangute: More than one month after a huge banyan tree was allegedly uprooted by a builder at Khobrawaddo, Baga, Calangute, leading to protests by Calangute locals and heritage activists demanding that the uprooted tree be replanted, the Calangute Constituency Forum (CCF) has urged the Town and Country Planning (TCP) department to revoke the permission for construction of the hotel project near Piety chapel at Khobrawaddo for allegedly carrying out excavation beyond the permissible limits and causing the 200-year-old banyan tree to collapse.
The banyan tree had fallen down allegedly after the developer engaged a JCB to excavate the mud beneath the roots of the banyan tree to weaken the grip of the tree to the ground so as to forcibly uproot the tree to clear the ground for further excavation. After the incident on the eve of World Environment Day on June 5, the CCF had lodged a complaint about the uprooting of the tree with various authorities, and following protests by Calangute residents and heritage activist Prajal Sakhardande, there had been a demand to replant the uprooted tree. But despite promises to replant the tree no action has been taken to restore the tree, the CCF said on Wednesday.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
In a complaint this week to the state chief secretary, the TCP department and other authorities, the CCF has pointed out that the “excavation carried out by the developer is beyond the permissible limits without proper setback”.
The CCF said the permission issued by the North Goa Planning and Development Authority (NGPDA) should be revoked immediately and the project development should be stopped. The Forum further stated that the developer should be “directed to restore and replant the said banyan tree at his own cost.”
