By Marcellus D’Souza
Apr 27: The Goa government informed the High Court of Bombay at Goa that a tree census has been started across 12 talukas. One hundred and thirty teams are working in conducting the census.
Submitting a compliance report before the High Court, the government further informed that a bank account for Tree Protection Fund has been created and been made functional. All receipts as mentioned in the Goa, Daman and Diu Preservation of Trees Act are being credited into the account from FY 2022-2023.
The Court allowed the petitioner to file a rejoinder on the compliance report and adjourned the matter to June 8.
On April 5, 2022, the Court had directed the North and South Goa Tree Authorities to report ‘real compliance’ on progress made in conducting a tree census in Goa by April 25, failing which “the secretaries of the two authorities would be hauled before the court for contempt”.
Hearing a matter filed by the Living Heritage Foundation, based on whose petition the High Court had issued a series of directions last year including to conduct a time-bound tree census as mandated under the Tree Preservation Act, 1984, the High Court expressed disappointment that the Tree Authorities had made “no compliance with [the] direction instead, some groundwork is being laid to avoid compliances.”
If we find that there is no serious work to commence and complete the census work with the expedition required of them, we will be constrained to consider whether any action is warranted in exercise of our contempt jurisdiction, the order said.
The court has directed the member secretary of the two Tree Authorities to file a further compliance report by April 25 indicating the actual progress made at the ground level.
If for any reason, the compliance report is not filed by 25th April 2022, the two member secretaries should remain present in the court with all records concerning compliance, the order stated.
“To date, there is no census carried out. From 8th July 2021, only some files have been moved from one table to the other. The compliance report/chart says that the Tree Authorities were of the view that the trees census may be initiated in Goa, to begin with, within jurisdictional limits of the City of Corporation of Panaji and Margao Municipal Council i.e. one each in North and South Goa District,” the High Court bench of Justices M S Sonak and R N Laddha, said.
“Therefore, once again, we remind the Tree Authorities of their statutory obligation. We also remind the Tree Authorities of the clear directions issued by us in our judgement and order dated 8th July 2021, including the timeline, set out therein. If we find that there is no serious work to commence and complete the census work with the expedition required of them, we will be constrained to consider whether any action is warranted in exercise of our contempt jurisdiction,” the High court also said.
The forest department will conduct the first-ever digital tree census using Global Positioning System (GPS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) in all wards of the Corporation of the City of Panaji and the Margao municipal council. The tree census is carried out every five years by the department.
The count will help officials in determining the exact location of every tree using digital data. It will also help the authorities take decisions on whether the trees need to be trimmed or felled for road widening or other infrastructure projects.
The department has invited proposals from ISO and CMMI certified organisations having qualified and experienced plant taxonomists, botanists, horticulturists for carrying out the geo-enabled tree census using GPS and GIS technology-enabled handheld devices, and to operate and manage the census data under provisions of the Goa, Daman and Diu Preservation of Tree Act, 1984.