THOMAS FERNANDES
CALANGUTE
Hundreds of trees were felled for the ambitious road-widening work along the Calangute coast and at present, the only beneficiaries of the widened road seem to be the tourists, tour operators and hoteliers.
A large number of vehicles owned by tourists, tour operators and hoteliers are being parked along the road on a daily basis and this has annoyed locals, as many have been left wondering if the widened road has benefited traffic along the route.
What has also caused further concern among the locals is the feeling of insecurity among women. The stretch of road from St Alex Church to Boa Viagem Chapel, which was used by schoolchildren and other villagers, is now virtually abandoned due to the presence of male tourists and inter-state stationary buses.
Residents have now begun questioning the government’s decision to fell hundreds of trees for the road-widening work.
“The authorities have been mercilessly chopping down huge trees including coconut and rain trees from Calangute to Saligao, Calangute to Arpora and from Arpora to Baga. The very purpose has been defeated as buses are being regularly parked all along the widened road, causing inconvenience to locals and villagers. Trees are needlessly being cut at different parts of the coastal belt without giving a thought on the ecological imbalance,” complained Ramchandra Naik, a local.
Another local, Fatima De Souza, added: “It’s a pity that the trees are being cut on regular basis in the name of development. The trees were planted by our ancestors and our generation has destroyed them for no meaningful development. The State government has been showing concern towards the slaughtering of animals, but the trees are butchered everyday and no one seems to be bothered about it.”
Residents claimed that though hundreds of trees have been cut along the roads from Calangute to Saligao, Arpora to Baga and from Calangute to Arpora, they added that not a single sapling has been planted so far to make up for the trees destroyed in the name of development.
Calangute MLA Michael Lobo insisted that the problem of vehicles would soon be resolved. “Once the roads are widened and ready in all respect, there will be no parking on the roads causing inconvenience to locals or motorists. We will have a road divider and the roads will be one-way. No parking vehicles or buses on either sides of the road will be allowed,” assured Lobo.
Commenting on the felled trees, he added: “We will plant saplings to make up for the felled trees all along the widened roads. We were forced to cut the trees that were coming in the way of development, but we have avoided it wherever possible.”
