NT NETWORK
PANAJI
Activists have approached the High Court of Bombay at Goa over coconut tree de-notification.
Activist Prajal Sakhardande of ‘Goa Heritage Action Group’ and Armando Gonsalves of ‘Goa For Giving’ have filed a petition before the High Court challenging the amendment to the Goa Daman and Diu Preservation of Trees Act, 1984.
The petitioners state that the 2008 amendment to Preservation of Tree Act should be upheld for the protection of the coconuts.
Sakhardande said that as per an amendment by the government it will allow people of the state and especially builders to cut coconut trees without permission of the forest department and we have prayed before the High Court that forest department permission should be made necessary for cutting of the coconut and we have also prayed for setting of the state coconut board.
The High Court has issued notice to the government over amendment to Preservation of Tree Act. The next hearing in the case is likely to be held in June.
The cabinet note stated that during the amendment to the Goa Preservation of Trees Act in 2008, Section 1-A was inserted in it to include provision for removing and disposing of trees which pose imminent danger to life or property. The provisions of the original Act were not applicable to coconut tree, and was brought under the purview of the Act in 2008 by insertion of Section 1-A regarding definition of term tree and Section 12 A regarding removal of trees etc which are in ruinous state or likely to fall. Though the amendment was intended to include coconut tree only for this specified section of the Act all the other provisions of the Act became applicable due to lack of adequate clarity. Hence it is now proposed to delete Section 1-A and include coconut trees in Section 12-A.