Goa, July 4 -- ANIL KUMAR MISHRA

Less than a fortnight after Goa narrowly escaped a serious water crisis triggered by delayed monsoon rains that pushed reservoir levels to dangerously low levels, official records have exposed another glaring failure in the State's environmental gov ernance - while permissions to fell thousands of trees have been granted with ease, en suring they are replaced has largely remained on paper. As per Assembly records, the Goa Tree Authority has acknowledged a staggering backlog of 44,995 compen satory trees yet to be plant ed by government depart ments, public agencies and private project proponents against tree-felling per missions granted over the previous five years, as on December 2025. The figures, revie...