NT Reporter
Panaji
The Forest Department has recorded 29 offence cases relating to the illegal cutting, uprooting, trimming and destruction of mangroves between January 2022 and January 2025, with 18 cases still under inquiry.
Of the 29 cases listed in the department’s Annexure I submitted to the Goa assembly by the Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane earlier this month, six have been compounded, while inquiries have been completed in three cases. Two cases are in the final stage of inquiry, and the remaining 18 are under inquiry. The cases include illegal cutting and uprooting of mangrove trees, trimming of branches and, in one case, dumping of concrete debris that blocked a canal and stopped water flow, resulting in mangroves dying.
The cases were reported from several parts of Goa, including Morambi-o-Grande, Carmona, Curtorim, Arambol, Aradi, Corlim, Candolim, Curca, Khandola, St Estevem, Tarvalem, Siolim, Loliem, Poinguinim, Pernem, Aldona, Ribandar, Raia and Deussua.
Some of the cases involved substantial numbers of trees. The department recorded the alleged illegal cutting or destruction of 100 mangroves at Khandola, 86 at Tarvalem in Shiroda, 52 at Corlim, 49 at Candolim and 41 trees, including 37 mangroves, over an approximately 300-sqm area at Morambi-o-Grande. Another case at Morambi-o-Grande involved 29 mangroves, while 27 were allegedly felled at Curca. The figures in the annexure refer to trees involved in individual offence cases and do not constitute a consolidated assessment of total mangrove loss.
The department’s Annexure II shows that six penalties were imposed, amounting to Rs 90,890. The penalties ranged from Rs 6,050 to Rs 29,800, and the entire amount has been collected. The annexure records the amount outstanding as nil in all six cases. It also records recovery action and convictions as “NA” for each of the six cases.
On restoration, the government said there is no provision in the Goa Preservation of Tree Act, 1984, for issuing a “restoration order”. The response does not provide figures for areas restored or cases in which restoration was monitored.
The government also did not provide an action plan for mangrove conservation, expansion of mangrove cover, enforcement against destruction or mandatory restoration. Its response to the question on whether such a comprehensive plan with a timeline and budget had been prepared or proposed was “NIL”.
On mangrove cover, the department did not furnish the requested year-wise figures for the Mandovi, Zuari, Chapora, Sal and Terekhol estuaries. Instead, it referred to the India State of Forest Report published by the Forest Survey of India, Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, stating that the assessment uses satellite imagery and ground truthing.
The case list supplied by the department runs from January 2022 to January 2025, despite the question seeking details for the last five years. The annexure therefore does not provide case details for the period after January 2025.
