The Goa government has rolled out a stringent set of operational directives for its tree officers and the tree authority, significantly tightening the process for granting permissions to cut down trees. These instructions, issued under the longstanding Goa Preservation of Trees Act, 1984, aim to plug procedural gaps, enhance transparency, and ensure stricter enforcement of conservation laws.
Core Directives for Enhanced Scrutiny and Transparency
A cornerstone of the new guidelines is the reinforced requirement for establishing clear land ownership. Tree officers are now mandated to make "all due and reasonable efforts" to confirm who owns a plot before approving any tree felling under Section 9 of the Act. Crucially, if the land is jointly owned, a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) must be secured from every single co-owner before any tree can be cut, removed, or disposed of.
To combat opacity, the state has instituted a robust public disclosure mechanism. Every tree-felling permission granted under Section 9 must be uploaded to the Goa forest department's official portal within 48 hours of being issued. Furthermore, physical copies of these permissions must be sent to the local village panchayat, block development officer, sub-divisional magistrate (or deputy collector), and relevant forest department offices for mandatory display on their public notice boards.
Digital Monitoring and Clear Timelines
Embracing technology for better oversight, the government has ordered the creation of digital maps for all approved tree-felling activities. Tree officers must prepare Keyhole Markup Language (KML) files that precisely mark the areas where trees are to be felled, as well as the sites identified for compensatory plantation under Sections 10 and 11 of the Act. These digital maps are required to be uploaded to the Union government's Gati Shakti portal, enabling centralized monitoring and easier inspection.
The directions also clarify and emphasize preferred timelines for decision-making to avoid delays:
- Sub-Divisional Forest Officers can grant permission for felling up to two trees, preferably within one week.
- Deputy Conservators of Forests (acting as Tree Officers) can approve the cutting of more than two and up to 50 trees in areas smaller than a hectare, preferably within four weeks.
- Any proposal exceeding these limits requires prior approval from the state government, along with recommendations from the Tree Authority.
Strict Enforcement and Safeguarding the Right to Appeal
The government issued a stern warning regarding compensatory plantation. Security deposits will be forfeited if individuals or entities fail to carry out the mandatory tree planting within the stipulated time under Section 10. The forfeited amounts will then be used by tree officers to undertake the plantation directly, as provisioned under Section 13 of the Act.
In a significant move to protect community interests, all permissions granted under Section 9 must now include a specific condition imposing a mandatory 10-day waiting period. Trees can only be felled after a minimum of 10 days from the date the order is published or uploaded on the forest department's website. This window is designed explicitly to allow aggrieved citizens or groups sufficient time to appeal against the permission.
Additionally, for the first time, if permission to fell trees is denied under Section 9 or Section 12A, the rejecting order must clearly state the reasons for the denial, ensuring accountability in the decision-making process.
