PONDA
Speaking to The Goan, Range Forest Officer Dipak Betkikar said a mini tempo laden with the trees was intercepted at Mharwasada-Usgao and four persons were detained.The forest staff foiled the smuggling bid after they got information that the ‘Senegalia Catechu’ were being transported.
Betkikar informed that their patrolling staff are monitoring the activities of cutting of ‘Senegalia Catechu’, which is used for making ‘pan’ and tea, to make it more stronger.
Sources informed that the ‘Khair’ (local name) extracted from this tree is used for tea, widely in hotels. TGN
It has high demand across Maharashtra for making ‘pan’ (betel leaf).
The Ponda forest officials also attached the mini tempo (MH-07-P-1749). “The detained persons were released on bond, but we have attached the mini tempo and have started the investigation,” Betkikar said.
Range forest officer Pradip Naik and other staff including Sachin Sawant, Deu Shetkar, Deepa Redkar, Dinesh Tari, Jeevan Majgaonkar, Rajan Gaonkar, Akshay Gawas, Durganand Gaonkar and Ali Sheikh were part of raiding team.
