MAPUSA
About three dozen trees, including some as old as 50 years, will face the axe to make way for widening and improvement of the major district road leading to the St Alex Church in Calangute.
The road improvement project includes widening of road, hot-mixing and construction of a median.
The decision to cut the aged trees got confirmed after a note moved by the local MLA Michael Lobo said that the road widening work from Palmarinha culvert (Bodkovod) to St Alex Church has been tendered by the PWD.
“There are many trees along the road widening area which need to be cut to carry out the widening work smoothly. It is requested to issue a NOC to the Deputy Conservator of Forests,” Lobo said in his note to the President of Calangute comunidade.
The Calangute panchayat has also passed a resolution to cut the existing trees in the road widening area.
The trees provided a scenic view while entering into the beach village from the Northern end.
At least 40 big and old trees on both sides of the road stood the test of time and provided relief to pedestrians and motorists along the stretch.
But the proposal of cutting the age-old trees is facing opposition from various quarters.
Besides locals, the Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) of Calangute and the Calangute Constituency Forum have vociferously objected to cutting of the trees.
“The canopy of the trees is the beauty of the road. The BMC has passed a resolution not to cut the trees. We have also given a proposal to the MLA and the panchayat that the roadside trees should be retained and realignment of the road be done so that one side of the trees can act as a divider,” said Premanand Diukar, member of BMC.
Incidentally, a senior PWD official informed that the road has been tendered for widening and hot-mixing but the task of widening of the road rests with the local panchayat.
“The widening of the road will be taken up by the panchayat. We are not involved in the process of land acquisition in the area. We will only carry out hot-mixing of the road,” the PWD official said.
Several trees in the past have been victims of urbanisation and rapid development in the coastal belt.
Nearly a decade back, the picture-postcard coconut trees lining the Mapusa to Verla-Canca road were axed giving way to the now widened four-lane road.
