Staff Reporter
Panaji
In the early hours of Monday, authorities translocated the heritage banyan tree from Vadakode along NH-66 at Porvorim
to Guirim.
The tree has been translocated to a site that falls between the Guirim junction and Socorro Tisk.
The operation also saw the removal of the Dev Khapreshwar idol and the demolition of the temple at the site.
The idol has been relocated to a container, owned by the flyover contractor, located near the original temple site. The idol has been placed under police protection, officials said.
To facilitate the translocation of the banyan tree and to complete the demolition of the temple, the highway stretch from O’Coqueiro to Damian de Goa was shut from Sunday night till the work was completed. The traffic was diverted via the new road which connects CHOG-M road to NH 66.
The tree was relocated as it fell within the alignment of the six-lane elevated corridor on NH-66, currently under construction.
The move witnessed stiff opposition on Sunday. The large crowd that had gathered to oppose the demolition of the temple and the cutting of the tree protested all night in vain.
Upon learning that the idol was shifted, many devotees visited the site where heavy police force was deployed since the wee hours of the day.
The move came as a rude shock to devotees who expressed happiness over the ‘temporary’ stop work order issued by the joint mamlatdar at around
7.15 pm on Sunday.
The decision to halt the temple demolition was taken as a large number of people had gathered at the site that led to a law and order situation.
Devotees expressed anger against the ruling political class, stating that the authorities could have saved the banyan tree and the temple had the flyover alignment
been slightly altered.
Landscape designer and green consultant Daniel D’Souza expressed concerns over the tree’s survival, noting that March’s hot conditions are not ideal for translocation.
“It’s not just about relocating and planting the tree; someone must monitor it closely and ensure it remains cool. We need to treat the tree just as we would a patient after surgery,”
he said. D’Souza said that the tree split into two during the uprooting process, and a baby tree was also found.
“Seeing the site conditions as well as the age and health of the trees, these two must be planted separately,” he said, adding that, however, the authorities told him that protocol comes before everything else and that due to this, both sections will be planted together.
“Is protocol more important than the survival of the tree?” he said.
However, on a more positive note, D’Souza said that the tree has high chances of survival “as its roots were uprooted nicely”.
On a note of caution, he said the monsoon would play a crucial factor.
“Though the area is not ideal, proper arrangements have been made to ensure the survival of the trees. Despite all the efforts, it still depends on the monsoon,” said D’Souza.
The move came after the High Court of Bombay at Goa issued an order last week permitting the Public Works Department (PWD), Doctor Trees and the contractor to proceed with the translocation of the last banyan tree.
The court directed that the translocation be carried out by Doctor Trees as per the methodology submitted to the deputy conservator of forests, ensuring a minimum height of 35 feet and an average width of 13.2 feet above ground level.
