Activists protest tree felling near Raj Bhavan

Panaji: A group of activists and citizens staged a protest over the alleged felling of trees on a hill located near Raj Bhavan in Dona Paula on Sunday. The protesters said that the area, which is located between Marivel and Aivao, is “marked in green” on the outline development plan and is a no-development zone.

“Workers have been coming here and chopping trees indiscriminately. When we questioned them about the required permission, they refused to provide details. They even refused to name the person who asked them to cut the trees,” one of the residents said.

Another resident mentioned that numerous community members rely on the hill to collect dead trees for firewood. The resident also said that the workers removed medicinal plants while clearing the trees from the hill.

Political activist Francis Coelho, who was leading the protest, said that the property in question is located in close proximity to the private residence of forest minister Vishwajit Rane. “This isn’t just environmental destruction. It is happening right next to the home of the minister responsible for protecting our forests. While our communities lack basic infrastructure, here we see a perfect road built at the cost of our environment,” he said.