Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has issued directives to the Public Works Department to take up plantation drive when a tree is chopped for road widening work and in cases where it is found the tree is good, ensure that it is shifted from the existing location to another.
PANAJI:
He has also asked the officials to send him a sanction report on regular basis for his perusal.
In a note issued to Principal Secretary (PWD), Parrikar has stated, “Road building and widening of highways and other roads in the State makes removal of few trees unavoidable. Every attempt must be made to plan shifting of affected tree and wherever it is difficult to do so, the Department should undertake a plantation drive to compensate the loss. The shifting/ plantation must form an integral part of road making/widening project. A sanction report be submitted for my perusal on regular basis.”
The Goan Everyday, in its report published on Sunday had pointed out that about 200 coconut trees on Guirim-Mapusa Highway are on the chopping block to make way for widening of the highway which is a part of the four/six lane project from Patradevi in North to Polem in South Goa.
The forest department has already initiated the process of enumerating these coconut trees, some of which have been marked in yellow paint. There are almost 400 coconut trees on both sides of the highway, 200 each on either side. Most of them are 15 to 20 years old.
