CM seeks number of fruit trees planted, water holes created

PANAJI

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has directed the State forest department to submit a detailed report on the total number of fruit-bearing trees planted in the forest areas, status on phasing out of Australian acacia trees and number of water holes created for wildlife to reduce the human-animal conflict.

Sawant, who is also the chairman of State Board of Wildlife (SBWL), has also instructed the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) to call for a joint meeting of environmentalists, wildlife conservationists and members of SBWL to discuss strategies to stop the man-animal conflicts. The directions were issued during the SBWL meeting, held earlier this month.

The State government had in 2021 announced its plan to create 100 new water bodies and to plant five lakh fruit-bearing trees by phasing out acacia plants over a period of five years. The move had aimed to stop wild animals from frequently straying to human habitations in search of fodder and water.

A senior forest officer informed that during the recently held meeting, the Chairman directed the department to submit the detailed report on all three issues-- fruit bearing trees, water holes and acacia plants-- to him before the next SBWL meeting. 

The officer said that the CM had in the past asked the department to conduct an impact assessment study of acacia trees and accordingly work out a plan to phase it out.  According to the Chief Minister, lack of fruit bearing trees in the forests was one of the reasons for human-animal conflicts in Goa.