Goa, June 21 -- MARCOS GONSALVES

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MARGAO: Development often leaves behind a quiet trail of heartbreak. For decades, the towering trees along the Verna highway were more than just green cover-they were silent companions and protectors for the local women selling fruits and flowers. Today, those majestic canopies are gone, replaced by a scorching open sky and small umbrellas. The profound personal and environmental loss felt by a community whose living heritage has been reduced to stumps.

Gazing at the empty stretch where a massive tree once stood, Francisca Fernandes, a flower vendor, said, "We spent most of our lives under these trees as they protected us from the sun during summer and sheltered us during heavy rains. ...