The Forest Department has been directed to take all necessary steps immediately to preserve and protect this forest land as per the law and any constructions on the land – if present – should be demolished within eight weeks by the Collector.
The green tribunal said it was concerned that even in the identified and demarcated private forests, the offences of tree cutting are dealt with under Prevention of Trees Act and not under the stringent Forest Conservation Act and directed the chief secretary to issue necessary instructions to the Forest Department on the issue.
In an order on an application filed by Sandeep Azrenkar and Goa Foundation challenging the development threatening the ‘forest’ at Xelpem, Mapusa, the tribunal decreed that the “Application is, therefore, partly allowed declaring 12.61 ha of the land in question, as identified and demarcated by the Forest Department, as a private forest. The department is directed to take all necessary steps immediately to preserve and protect this forest land as per the law. Any construction on the said land if done should be demolished within eight weeks by the Collector, North Goa.”
The bench consisting of Justice V R Kingaonkar (Judicial Member) and Dr Ajay A Deshpande (Expert Member) also said that “the directions issued by the honorable High Court of Bombay at Goa … will continue to remain in force till entire demarcation work of private forest is completed in the State.”
