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• Locals of Adcolna in Ponda taluka have complained against the destruction of forest cover on their private properties allegedly by a multinational company to lay a pipeline for the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) project.A property owner has sought immediate action against the company in his complaint lodged with the deputy collector, forest conservator and localvillage panchayat.The work of laying the pipeline for Bharat Petroleum is being carried out by Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) across Sattari, Bicholim and Ponda talukas. GAIL has allotted the work of pipeline laying to an international company.It has been alleged that the company has destroyed several fruit bearing cashew trees and felled some age old trees from private properties on Saturday.
• Rajendra Amonkar, an owner of a property, said the company has destroyed his trees without any permission from him. "The company has not even informed us before felling trees in the property. The company has also destroyed fields in the village by using a gigantic excavator on them," Amonkar said.Amonkar also revealed that after he complained about the reckless activity of the company before competent authorities, the company officials came up with a proposal to pay compensation of a hundred rupees per sq m which is inadequate, he said.
• When TOI visited the site, several trees were seen cut to make way for a pipeline. Besides, some pipes were kept in a field.A company representative said the company has taken back heavy machinery to another site after some villagers threatened to destroy it, if work continued in the village.Amonkar also confirmed that locals were annoyed over the ruthless devastation on the private properties and confronted the company personnel after the trees were felled.Locals had also threatened to destroy company machinery, Amonkar revealed.

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