PANAJI: Minister for forests and town and country planning (TCP), Vishwajit Rane, on Friday said a police complaint has been filed after the tenant association of the local comunidade “was found to be responsible” for destruction of 29 mangrove trees at Merces.
“The SDFO and Panaji Range staff inspected the site after receiving a report from the additional principal chief conservator of forests. The land belonged to the comunidade and the offence is committed by their tenant association. Twenty-nine mangrove trees were destroyed, an offence has been booked for violation of the Goa Preservation of Trees Act, 1984, with a notice issued to the land owners,” Rane said in a tweet. “Stern action is the need of the hour, as mangroves need to be protected at all costs.”
Apart from the forest department, the chief town planner of the town and country planning department has filed a separate complaint with the Old Goa police station for filling of the khazan land. The town planner said that based on the minister’s directives a joint inspection of the site was carried out on May 20 at 5.30pm.
“It is observed that there is huge cutting of mangrove forest and filling of land in survey no. 73/2 of Morombi-O-Grande village, Tiswadi taluka. It is learnt that the forest department has already filed an FIR in this regard and further prior permission of filling of land has not been obtained as required under section 17-A of TCP Act as per this office records,” the police complaint from the chief town planner states.
He has asked the police ‘to keep vigil at the site’ and stop ongoing activity, initiate necessary action and book the violators.
