PANAJI
A complete census of Goa’s non-forest trees as is mandatory under the Goa Preservation of Trees Act and specific directions of the High Court will cost the State upwards of Rs 89 crore and take 11 years to complete, the State government has told the Bombay High Court at Goa which had sought a compliance report from the State over the non-functioning Tree authorities.
“Geo enabled tree census has been started in the entire State with the exception of trees standing on government forest lands which come under the control of the forest department,” the State government informed in its compliance report before the Court.
“The tree census will involve a census of 3.17 crore trees spread over approximately 2428 square metres area. The said exercise is likely to entail expenditure of approximately Rs 89.02 crore and will take approximately 11 years to complete one cycle of tree census that is in the event 200 teams are deployed,” the government informed basing their estimates on similar exercises that were conducted in Pune, Thane and Mumbai by the respective authorities there.
The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by NGO Living Heritage Foundation seeking the revival of the tree authorities of north and south Goa.
The court had disposed off the petition in July 2021 by directing the State to implement the various mandates prescribed under the Goa, Daman, and Diu Preservation of Trees Act, 1984 (Trees Act). The court further directed the State to file their compliance reports from time to time.
The Forest Department has constituted 130 teams comprising forest frontline staff and other ancillary staff and have started geo enabled tree census work in all 12 talukas of Goa since 16/04. As on 22/04/2022, 56,253 trees have been covered by the 130 teams constituted.
In another major step, it has been decided that all proposals for felling of trees, except proposal for construction of a single house, are to be placed before the tree authority instead of the tree officer. The tree authority would then conduct a critical study of various government and private bodies for construction of buildings, roads, factories, irrigation works, laying out of electric, telephone, telegraphic and other transmission lines, before placing such proposals before the competent authority for decision. Chief Secretary and chairman of the Tree Authority, Puneet Kumar Goel on April 13, passed an order to this effect.
Moreover, while granting tree-felling permissions for different projects, the deputy conservator of forests will critically examine trees, which can be preserved at site, and trees, which can be transplanted at the cost of the user agency.
“In case, feasibility of transplantation is found in such cases before issuing tree felling permission, user agencies may be asked to submit transplantation plan, location, strategy including maintenance and timeline, a circular issued by Conservator of Forests, Dinesh Kannan says.
A division bench of justice M S Sonak and justice R N Laddha posted the matter for further hearing on July 8. The petitioner would be filing their responses by June 27 after studying the report.
“We’re happy that steps are being taken in the right direction but there are some concerns that we would bring to the court’s notice before the next hearing,” Sreeja Chakraborty, advocate for the petitioner, said.
