Goa, June 24 -- AUGUSTO RODRIGUES

Questions over the benchmarks used to de termine whether a tree should be felled or trans located emerged during the inspection carried out by a three-member com mittee appointed by the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court. The committee com pleted its inspection of the 80 standing trees from among the 422 trees that had been granted felling permission. Villag ers from the affected ar eas expressed hope that the Public Works Depart ment (PWD) would not allow its commitments to tree replantation to be forgotten over time. Despite the heat, the three-member team, ac companied by officials of the Forest Department, began its inspection a day after the court order. Mem bers also had to endure verbal abuse from...