THE GOAN Network
VASCO: After after four Ashoka trees uprooted due to the weak roots, Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) is yet to cut 10 precarious trees identified by the forest department about 20 days ago.
It may be recalled that in the last week of May, an Ashoka tree fell near the railway station and two days later, another tree uprooted near Tourist Hostel, while the third came crashing down near HQ Hotel Vasco during a pre-monsoon shower.
MMC sought the help of the Forest Department to identify weak Ashoka trees to chop them. On May 25, the Forest Department identified 10 more precarious Ashoka trees which were on the verge of collapse and had requested MMC to cut down the weak trees.
On June 14, four Ashoka trees uprooted and when the matter was brought to the notice of MMC Chairperson Lavina D’Souza, she had said the tender was already allotted to a contractor from Valpoi and the 10 trees will be cut from June 15.
When this reporter was travelling along the Swantantra Path road, where the Ashoka trees are grown along the footpath, found one such tree, whose bark was completely damaged by termites and other insects and it is on the verge of collapse.
When The Goan visited MMC and met D’ Souza, it was found that MMC had not allotted any contract to cut the weak Ashoka trees identified by the Forest Department.
When asked whether MMC was waiting for any disaster to take place to cut the trees, D’Souza said the person to cut the trees has been already appointed and she was waiting to release the work order from the municipal engineer.
Councillor Shekar Khadapkar said: “How can we direct the person to cut the trees when the amount to cut the 10 week trees is not decided.”
When asked whether Chairperson D’Souza and Councilor Khadapkar are waiting for any calamity to take place, D’Souza immediately called the municipal engineer, Vishnu Naik, to her cabin and directed him to immediately release the work order.
When municipal engineer Naik saw the photograph taken by The Goan and noticing the danger, he ordered the person to immediately cut the tree near the municipal garden and later directed Khadapkar to work out the cost for cutting the 10 weak trees.
“Just submit the cost to cut down the 10 weak tree on a plain paper to my office and I will immediately release the fund to cut the trees,” Naik told the contractor.
However, the contractor has sought two days’ time to cut 10 trees. However, he agreed to cut the dangerous tree that was brought to the notice of D’Souza, Khadapkar and Naik by The Goan on priority basis.
