Mandrem MLA Jeet Arolkar in discussion with locals at Mandrem. Captured by : Nivrutti Shirodkar
PERNEM
Hundreds of trees are reported to have been destroyed in a fire on a hill at Mandrem.
Mandrem MLA Jeet Arolkar visited the site and after taking stock of the situation, directed the police to lodge a complaint against the contractor concerned.
According to locals, about 7.5 lakh square meters of government land is located at Junaswada-Mandrem and an electricity sub-division office is being set up on land of about 3,000 sq. metres.
The land was earlier leased by the government to the locals and in the last 2-3 years, the government took back the land from the lease holders and handed it over to the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC).
The environmental organisation ‘Davarukh’ had planted several thousands of trees in collaboration with the biodiversity board and the forest department.
A contract had been given to a private company in Panaji to clean the site and the contractor's workers had set fire to grass in the area.
The flames quickly spread and destroyed hundreds of trees in the area.
Locals then reported the matter to the forest department and the police. The fire station was also alerted but firefighters were helpless as there is no road access to the hill.
Later speaking to reporters after taking stock of the situation, Arolkar said the government is constructing a power sub-division office in the area and the government has handed over the space from the GTDC to the power department.
“The contractor who was asked to clean the land should have first notified the local panchayat and electricity department. I too was not been informed about this. Due to the contractor’s negligence, hundreds of trees have been reduced to ashes.”
“The company must take responsibility to grow the trees and the police should take action against the contractor," said Arolkar.
Forest department officials later conducted a panchanama to ascertain how many trees were destroyed in the fire.
