The Goa Government should review its decision to de-recognise the coconut palm as a tree, a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forest recommended on Saturday, even as the panel, which was on a daylong visit to Goa also put on record its displeasure about the state’s “tardy implementation” of green laws.
The committee led by Rajya Sabha MP Ashwini Kumar also conducted day-long deliberations on issues related to ecology degradation caused due to illegal mining, Coastal Regulatory Zone violations and other green issues.
“There was the issue of the definition forests in which a coconut tree in Goa is not regarded as a tree, is regarded as grass which we found extremely unusual and we have recommended that a review of the definition of tree, under the tree protection act be undertaken.
“In law we have to see the net effect of things. If the absence of a clear and an unambiguous description of a particular species, leads to its destruction, then surely the law will need to be changed,” Kumar said.
The Opposition as well as civil society has repeatedly accused the BJP-led coalition government in Goa of amending the Goa Daman and Diu Preservation of Trees act 1984 in January and dropping the tree status accorded to the coconut tree, to unfairly hasten real estate and industrial development at the cost of environment.
Forest Minister Rajendra Arlekar had defended the amendment saying a coconut palm does not fit the definition of a tree even botanically and that the amendment would help coconut farmers cull old and non-productive palms without too much red-tape.
Kumar, a former union minister for law and justice in the United Progressive Alliance government also said that the implementation of environment related laws in the state was tardy and said that he had directed that an official from the Union Ministry for Environment and Forests should engage with the state government to ensure that green laws are followed in letter and spirit.
“We have directed that a representative of the central ministry of environment and forests to engage with the State Government authority with a view to finding ways and means to implement in letter and spirit all possible laws intended to protect the environment. We have put on record our displeasure at the tardy implementation of environmental laws and regulation,” Kumar said.
The Committee led by Kumar also heard views from NGOs and civil society members in Goa over the various provisions of the compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill, 2015 as well as the deteriorating environmental conditions in Goa attributed to mining and tourism industries including 17 categories of highly polluting industries and other industrial activities which are categorized as red, orange and green based on the process involved and pollution load generated with respect to effluent emission and hazardous wastes.
“The committee also held discussions with state government of Goa and also with representatives from industries on the various aspects of environmental issues caused due to mining in Goa,” an official statement issued by the Committee members also said.