It is to be emphasized in no uncertain terms that the people of Goa hope that the Central Empowered Committee constituted by the Supreme Court to carry out the fact-finding on the three linear projects will heed to the overwhelming majority that in the current times of global warming, felling of over 70,000 trees is a costly error not worth indulging in. Besides the trees in the Western Ghats acting as the lungs of Goa and being the carbon sink, it is also going to transform the sensitive eco-system of the area in particular and Goa at large.
It is known that as a matter of sentiments of the people in addition to scientific evidence that deforestation is leading to higher temperatures, that our tribals and villagers consider the banyan tree and the peepal tree as deities because these two carry out photosynthesis throughout the day and night and were therefore held with great reverence. It is not only science but also morally that our villagers in particular hold trees in high regard. Especially in these times of Covid-19, the importance of more oxygen in the atmosphere is to be regarded as sacrosanct, because it is better to prevent, then to try to cure by administrating oxygen in the hospitals. When nature has such a valuable and free source of oxygen, why should the CEC not heed to the people of Goa who are very possessive about the environment and thus recommend the scrapping of the three linear projects that are harmful to the environment?
