THE GOAN NETWORK
PANAJI
The North Goa forest division has granted permission for the felling over 200 trees over the last one month to facilitate a series of government infrastructure and development projects across the State, including hostels at Goa Medical College, a sewage treatment plant in Bicholim and road widening works in Sanquelim.
Official orders issued by the division show that permission has been granted to cut a total of 212 trees under the amended provisions of the Goa, Daman and Diu Preservation of Trees Act, 1984, which was extended to government land through an amendment notified in October 2022. The permissions are granted following consent from the State Tree Authority.
The largest approvals include permission to fell 48 trees for the construction of a new Resident doctors' hostel at Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC), Bambolim, and 44 trees for a new boys' hostel at the same campus.
In Bicholim taluka, authorities permitted the cutting of 46 trees at Maulinguem South village for the second phase of a sewage treatment plant project.
Another 45 trees have been cleared for felling as part of the Phase-I beautification and road widening works under the Sanquelim Town Master Plan, involving expansion of SH-1 to an 18-metre width.
The authority has permitted felling of 29 trees for construction of road in Taleigao to the North Goa Planning and Development Authority.
The approvals have been issued subject to compensatory plantation conditions. The user agencies have been directed to undertake plantations of three times the number of trees felled and maintain the saplings for a period of five years.
Accordingly, the GMC projects have been asked to plant 132 and 144 saplings respectively, while the sewage treatment plant and Sanquelim road widening projects will require plantation of 138 and 135 saplings and NGDPA will have to plant 87 samplings.
The orders further stipulate that tree felling can commence only after 30 days from the date of issuance of permission.
