Colomba village - Illegal cutting of forest trees
Illegal cutting of forest trees is going on in a full swing in Colomba village to facilitate mining activities and the forest officials and the police are the mute in spectators inspite of lodging several oral and written complaints by the villagers.
Villagers informed Herald that around 50 odd Forest trees have been cut by the mining company from survey No.95 of Colomba village by engaging around 8 labourers , which is going on since 12th July. When the villagers questioned the labourer and forced them to stopped on 12th evening they stopped the work on Friday but again on Saturday 14th July they started the felling work again. When the villager questioned the manager of the mining company who was supervising the felling work informed the villagers that they have obtained licence from the forest department which has been issued to them by the RFO of Curdi Range Shri Satyawan Fotte. when the villager demanded the copy of the licence he refuse to show them same and threatened the villagers with dire consequences. Informed the villager further .
The Police complaint filed by one of the villagers on 14th July did not yield any result as the cutting work is going on unabated till today.
When the Dy.Conservator of Forest South Goa Shri M. K. Bedi was contacted and asked about the licence if any his department has has issued to cut trees from survey No.95 of Colomba village informed herald that his department has not issued any licence to cut trees from Cotomba village.
"The forest department harasses even those who does kumeri cultivation in forest land however they do not take any action against these mining companies who cutting large scale forest trees and are doing extensive damage to the forest" question one Soiru Sawant of Colomba .
'In the past no forest habitant such as monkeys used to come to village and never used destroy our plantation as there were vast forest area for these animals to move on but now as the mountain have been cleared to facilitate mining activities and forest area has been reduce these forest animals very often enter into our village and destroy our crop such as mangos, jackfruit, coconut etc". informed said Soiru.
There are around 150 to 200 monkeys staying in the area where presently the cutting is going on , where these forest species will go if the trees on which they were moving/staying, ultimately they have to enter into our village. Moreover were presently the cutting is going on there were large number of medicinal trees . Informed one villager.
The forest official who are looking after the forest land prevents us villager from even collecting dry wood from the forest , how these same official becomes mute in spectators when large scale felling of trees is being done by the mining companies, which means the forest official are in hand in gloves. Informed another villager.
Photos by John Fernandes: http://www.goanet.org/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=34
