Team Herald
CURCHOREM: Quepem residents have urged the authorities to take care of a huge tree called ‘baobab’ which was planted in front of the Quepem police station by the Portuguese during their era in Goa. In Konkani, the tree is called Gorakchinch.
According to President of Quepem Citizens Committee Evangelisto Da Costa, the tree which is standing tall in front of police station giving relief from sun to a temple and a cross dedicated to St Francis Xavier and is giving beautiful view in the vicinity.
“According to my knowledge the Portuguese also planted a Baobab tree in Mulgao in Bicholim and the other one is in Quepem and both are standing tall till today,” Da Costa said.
Da Costa fears that the tree in Quepem may die if the cause is not identified and proper care is not taken as the stump is infected with some unknown black substance.
He said that they had peeled up the skin with wooden stick to see how deep the infection has reached and verbally informed the Quepem forest as well as zonal agriculture office about it but no action has been taken in the matter.
Therefore, Da Costa urged them to inspect the tree at the earliest to study the cause of infection and to take remedial measure to save the tree.
Quepem Municipal Councillor Amol Kanekar, in whose ward the tree exists, told Herald that he had telephonically informed the agriculture as well as forest department after locals informed him about the infected tree.
Agriculture Officer from Quepem Girish Kenkre informed that one of their officer visited the site and seen the tree and accordingly told the councillor to inform the forest department as such cases are look after by them.
When contacted Quepem RFO Suhas Naik said that he has recently taken a charge of Quepem Range and he knows about the existence of the tree. “I know that the “Baobab” tree is there but I was not aware about what happened to the tree as I have taken the charge recently,” said Naik and added that he would visit the site along with his team to find out the cause.
