PANAJI
Countless birds have found themselves without a home when the two-century-old Banyan Tree was uprooted past midnight under heavy police presence. The hurried actions of Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Ltd and Goa State Urban Development Authority have sparked suspicion as the deadline was still 10 days away.
The displacement of numerous birds with the removal of this sacred tree has provoked outrage among residents and environmental activists, particularly regarding the timing of the operation.
The residents questioned the government's decision-making process as the sacred tree did not impede road construction in any manner. Moreover, the felling of rain tree has been kept secondary despite this tree posing more danger, at least according to the authorities concerned.
The locals have expressed bewilderment over the authorities’ rush to uproot the Banyan tree, especially since the IPSCDL announced it had obtained permission from the Forest Department for its translocation.
“The operation was conducted during late hours, disturbing the sleep of many with the noise of machinery and flashy lights. What was the urgency to uproot the tree clandestinely when official permission was in place?” lamented a St Inez resident.
Earlier on Friday evening, activists took out a candlelight march to protect the tree. Experts have also criticized the procedures adopted for the translocation process, citing the unsuitability of the summer season for such a sensitive operation and the lack of moisture in the tree.
“This covert nature of the operation, although conducted in a public space, has left many of us wondering whether the Banyan tree has been replanted at its new location or abandoned somewhere away from the eyes of the general public,” another resident asked.
