PANAJI
An activist has alleged that branches of two roadside trees have been selectively chopped near the Children's Park at Caranzalem to facilitate a “sea view” for residents in the area, thereby damaging the green cover along the road.
"The branches of trees have been chopped using manpower from the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) to please some flat owners in the area so that they would get an unobstructed sea view,” alleged an activist, Shailendra Velingkar.
“Chopping the branches of these two beautiful trees has disturbed the continuity of the green cover. This was done without taking any permission from the forest department or the CCP.”
Velingkar claimed: "Residents who wanted a “sea view” could have easily gone to the seashore, which is barely 500 metres away. Instead, the branches of the two trees were deliberately chopped, and this action merely to offer a better sea view is unjustified. Such unwarranted cutting of branches and trees will destroy the green cover in the city."
When contacted, CCP Deputy Mayor Vasant Agshikar clarified that no trees had been trimmed by CCP staff in Caranzalem.
He also refuted allegations that CCP manpower had chopped branches of two trees to enable flat owners at a nearby residential complex to get an unobstructed view of the sea.
“The CCP did conduct a drive on Monday to prune trees which were either blocking street lights or posing a danger to the public.
“As part of this drive, around 70 trees were pruned along the 18th June road, Central Panaji, Bhatlem and Altinho, but not in Caranzalem. A similar drive will be conducted on Saturday when there is less traffic,” said Agshikar.
