log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline THURSDAY APRIL 17, 2025 GOA PANAJI: In line with the Central government’s ‘Nagar Van Yojana’, Goa government is set to launch ‘Urban Forestry' initiatives across all municipalities in the State. It has also decided to transform, legacy garbage dump Sonsodo - into a dense forest using Japanese technique. Minister for Forest and Urban Development Vishwajit Rane on Wednesday chaired a meeting of officials of forest department, urban development and municipal councils to discuss the relevance of urban forestry in the context of climate resilience and urban heat mitigation and to take forward initiative on creating green >> See pg 3 lungs.  IN SHORT >> Police crack 'suitcase' murder, nab accused PANAJI: Agassaim police have arrested a 24-year-old in connection with the murder of a local, whose body was found stuffed in a suitcase outside Goa Medical College (GMC), Bambolim, on Sunday afternoon.  >> See pg 2 Fatorda youth found dead on rail tracks MARGAO: A 20-year-old resident of Madel-Fatorda, Jerrico D’Costa, was found dead along the Margao railway tracks, metres away from the Margao railway station.   >> See pg 2 3 die in separate road accidents PANAJI: A rider and a pillion rider died in a late-night road accident on NH66 at Paddi, while a 47-year-old man from Honda-Sattari died and two others sustained minor injuries in a collision between two scooters at Harvalem on Wednesday.  >> See pg 5 Justice Gavai to be next CJI NEW DELHI: Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna on Wednesday recommended to the Centre the name of Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai as the next CJI. Justice Gavai is set to become the 52nd CJI on May 14, after the retirement of CJI Khanna on May 13.  >> See pg 7 China now faces 245% tariffs on US imports BEIJING: China now faces tariffs up to 245 per cent on imports to the United States due to its retaliatory actions, the White House has said, as the trade war escalated between the two economies. WEATHER >> Max: Min: Humidity: 30 C 27 C 65% RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO Assagao locals up in arms against attempt to grab Comunidade land Health benefits of black cumin seeds  ISSUE UNDER REVIEW, GOVT TELLS HIGH COURT  LOCAL BODIES TO COMPLY AND SUBMIT REPORT THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The High Court of Bombay at Goa has granted time till June 12 for local bodies to act against illegal and irregular structures across the State, after the State government on Wednesday informed the court that it is currently reviewing the issue. During the hearing into rampant unauthorised constructions, Advocate General Devidas Pangam, appearing for the State, told the court they are reviewing the whole thing and accordingly action will be taken and submitted to the Court. The court was hearing suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) relating to illegal structures, especially in no-development zones and paddy fields. In its recent observa- PWD razes 31 structures on govt land at Nerul PORVORIM: The PWD on Wednesday demolished 31 structures built on government land at Nerul. The collector has issued eviction notices in December 2024 to kioks/stall owners located on either side of the road near the Nerul bridge, as the structures were creating nuisance to motorists and pedestrians and hindrance to the smooth flow of traffic.  >> See pg 3 tion, the Bench noted that encroachments drastically altered Goa’s fragile landscape while criticising authorities for inaction. On Wednesday, the Bench granted permission for the review and adjourned the hearing to June 13. Municipalities and panchayats had also sought more time to comply with court directives, follow- ing which the Bench extended the deadline for compliance to June 12. In a meeting held earlier this month, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant reiterated acting against illegal constructions including encroachments on roads in compliance with the High Court’s directives in March. Sawant chaired a high-level meeting Lala Ki Basti now in ruins, families pick up pieces SOME FAMILIES SIFT THROUGH RUBBLE; OTHERS SEEK REFUGE WITH RELATIVES AND NEIGHBOURS MAPUSA A day after bulldozers tore through the narrow lanes of Lala ki Basti in Tivim, reducing 23 homes to rubble, grief hangs in the air. The once-bustling settlement, home to families for over three decades, now lies flattened – its former residents left to gather fragments of lives abruptly uprooted. Under the direction of the High Court, the demolition was carried out on Tuesday, targeting what were deemed illegal structures. But for the residents, these homes were far more than encroachments – they were symbols of stability, community and hard-earned survival. On Wednesday, the scene was heart-wrenching. Men, women, and children rummaged through the debris, salvaging what they could – torn school books, broken furniture, twisted appliances. Some had managed to remove their belongings before the bulldozers arrived. Others weren’t so fortunate. “Look at this,” said Ayub Khan, holding up a schoolbook. “These are our chil- sought a detailed hearing before any such interim order. The hearing relating to 72 petitions against the constitutionality of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 took place before a bench of Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and K V Viswanathan. The bench, which will continue with the hearing on Thursday, was miffed over the inclusion of non-Muslims in the central waqf councils and boards and asked the Centre whether it was willing to in- clude Muslims in Hindu religious trusts. After hearing solicitor general Tushar Mehta for the Centre and senior lawyers including Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Dhavan, Abhishek Singhvi, C U Singh for Muslim bodies and individual petitioners, the CJI proposed to issue the notice and to pass an interim order, saying it will “balance the equities”. Observing some provisions could have “grave >Continued on P5 Now, PAN made mandatory for all registrations and renewals 9 SPORTS IPL: Steely Starc takes DC to Super Over win against RR 12 Nearly 39 pc of Goa’s forest cover ‘highly’ vulnerable to fires: ICAR Study recommends mechanical, biological, administrative, and legal measures THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI As much as 38.90 per cent of Goa’s forest cover is “very highly” vulnerable to fires due to anthropogenic disturbances in the form of land use changes due to increasing demand for land parcels, conversions, infrastructure development among many others, reveals a vulnerability mapping study by ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute. Assessment of forest fire occurrence in Goa revealed that over the last five-year period from 2017 till January 2023 an area of 521.29 ha was affected by fire, most of which was surface fire, with the largest area of around 220 ha affected during 2019-2020. The study submitted to the State Forest Department, at the backdrop of a series of fire incidents reported in 2022, concludes that open and moderately dense forests are highly vulnerable to forest fires, with the distance from human FOREST FIRES: THE STUDY „„38.90% of forest cover is highly vulnerable to fires due to anthropogenic disturbances like land use changes, infrastructure development, and increasing demand for land „„From 2017 to January 2023, 521.29 hectares of forest area in Goa were affected by fires, with the largest incident (220 hectares) occurring in 2019-2020 „„1077.7 sq km of forest identified as very highly vulnerable, 491.58 sq km as highly vulnerable, and 543 sq km as moderately vulnerable to fires „„Increasing demand for land, land use conversion, infrastructure development, limited fodder availability, and arson have all contributed to the rise in forest fire incidents „„South and west-facing lands, receiving more sunlight, are more prone to fires, while forests at higher elevations and with greater inclination are less vulnerable settlement being the other crucial factor. “Results indicate that a large area of 1077.7 sq km of forest cover in Goa is now very highly vulnerable to be followed by highly vulnerable 491.58 sq km and 543 sq km being moderately vulnerable. The maximum area estimated to be under the very high vulnerable class is 38.90% followed by moderate 19.64% and high 17.74% class. It is thus apparent that, large part of Goa’s forest cover is now >Continued on P5 LENTEN TRADITIONS THE GOAN I NETWORK neighbours. The sense of betrayal is palpable. Many residents expressed anger at the absence of political support during their hour of crisis. “Not one politician came to ask about us. They only come when they need votes,” Khan lamented. He recalled how then chief minister late Manohar Parrikar had visited the area in 2012, accompanied by Kiran Kandolkar, and assured them their homes would be regularised. >Continued on P5 >Continued on P5 LOST PARADISE: A day after the demolition, displaced residents sift through the rubble, searching for anything they can salvage from the remains of their homes.  Agnelo Pereira dren’s books – destroyed in front of our eyes. We’ve lived here for 30, some even 40 years. We are Indian citizens, Goans. Not outsiders,” he added, speaking in chaste Konkani. For now, the displaced are seeking refuge with relatives and neighbours. Khan, like many others, is staying with extended family in Mapusa. “Thankfully, some of our relatives opened their doors. But this can’t go on forever,” he said. Others are crammed into small quarters, depending on the goodwill of friends and at Porvorim where both district Collectorates were instructed to initiate action. The State government is also examining the possibility of introducing an ordinance or legislation to regulate or regularise certain irregular structures, though Pangam confirmed that this proposal was not discussed in the Court on Wednesday. On March 12, the High Court pulled up the government for its failure to control widespread illegalities. “This has resulted in a wholesale change of the landscape in the State of Goa by such wide and rampant illegal constructions without any authority of law,” the bench had remarked. The court also directed the State to “curtail, stop and remove such unauthorised constructions in terms and in accordance with the statutory provisions.” PANAJI The Goa government has made it mandatory to provide a Permanent Account Number (PAN) when applying for or renewing all licences and registrations across various Acts. In a circular issued on April 11, the Finance Department has directed all the departments to ensure necessary amendments are made to relevant Acts/ Rules/ Regulations to legally enforce the PAN requirement wherever applicable. The decision is taken following approval from the Chief Minister. “The government has decided that the PAN issued by the Income Tax department shall be made a mandatory field in all applications for issuance or renewal of registrations, licences, permissions, etc under all Acts/ Rules implemented by various government departments, PSUs, local bodies and autonomous bodies,” Under Secretary Finance Pranab Bhat said. He said that in cases, where no renewal is required to be done for any registrations, licences or permissions, already issued, PAN details have to be captured within three months from the date of THE GOAN I NETWORK ASKS IF CENTRE WOULD INCLUDE MUSLIMS IN HINDU TRUSTS NEW DELHI In a significant development, the Supreme Court on Wednesday proposed to stay certain key provisions of the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, including the power to denotify properties declared as waqf by courts and inclusion of non-Muslims in central Waqf councils and boards. The top court proposed to pass the order, which was opposed by the Centre as it Instagram.com/thegoanonline 2 3 Illegal structures: Govt gets time till June 12 GOA Top court proposes to stay key provisions of Waqf Act PTI The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 12 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 299 Cracks in crackdown? Housie ban under scrutiny over ‘selective’ enforcement Govt mulls urban forests across municipalities Facebook.com/thegoan A baker arranges freshly baked hot cross buns at Confeitaria 31 De Janeiro bakery in Panaji on Wednesday. Traditionally associated with Maundy Thursday, the spiced buns are marked with a symbolic cross, representing the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.  Narayan Pissurlenkar 6-yr minimum age for Class 1 from academic year 2026-27 THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI From the next academic year 2026-27, six years would be the minimum age for Class 1 admission in Goa. The State government has taken the decision in compliance with the Central government directions. At present, three years is the age limit fixed for admission at foundation level I (Nursery), four years for foundation level II (KG I) and five and half years for Class 1. This practice would continue in the current academic year. The requirement that a child must have completed six years of age for admission to Class 1 is a recommendation under the New Education Pol- icy (NEP) 2020 and the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009. In February 2024, the Central government issued a fresh directive to states and union territories, instructing them to revise the age limit for Class 1 admission in accordance with >Continued on P5 Plastic pollution choking mangroves, warns study SHWETA KAMAT MAHATME THE GOAN I PANAJI M angroves, which contribute to the rich marine eco-system of Goa, are “highly vulnerable” to anthropogenic litter pollution as a result of urban run-off, tourism and improper waste disposal. Plastic waste, including single-use plastic items currently banned in the State, accounts for over 66 per cent of the total litter impacting State’s mangrove recruitment, growth and survival, overall. This was revealed in a recent study called “Anthropogenic litter pollution in the mangrove blue carbon ecosystem: Unveiling the spatial distribution, composition, M A N G R OV E P O L L U T I O N : T H E DATA „„Goa’s mangroves are highly vulnerable to litter pollution from urban runoff, tourism, and poor waste management „„Over 66% of mangrove litter is plastic, including banned single-use items „„89% from land-based sources; 11% from fishing „„Among the plastic litter, source delineation and mitigation measures along the Goa coast” undertaken by scientist Nandan Das, Kalyan De, Amrita Sen and Bibekananda Maiti. plastic fragments were most dominant, comprised of 23.36% of total plastic litter, followed by plastic wrapper (13.08%), plastic bag (10.49%), Styrofoam (9.51%) and plastic bottle (6.84%) „„Seven mangrove habitats were examined along the Goa coast - Diwar, Agassaim, Pomburpa, Querim – to evaluate anthropogenic litter levels and establish essential baseline data on environmental pollution in these ecosystems The study published in the Journal of Environmental Management in March concludes that litter pollution-induced mangrove degradation may directly impact the health of mangroves and related ecosystem functions. The study examined seven mangrove habitats along the Goa coast - Diwar, Agassaim, Pomburpa, Querim – to evaluate anthropogenic litter levels and establish essential baseline data on environmental pollution in these ecosystems. “The assessment of environmental quality and ecological risk indicates that Goa’s mangroves are highly vulnerable to litter pollution, with a significant presence of hazardous waste,” the study stated. “Plastic items, particularly single-use plastics such as wrappers, bags, and bottles, dominate the overall litter composition. The majority of the litter originates from land-based sources, including >Continued on P5