Goa, June 24 -- Even as author ities across Goa defend tree cutting in the name of development, the drastic pruning of a 150-year-old banyan tree at Dhavli has become a potent symbol of growing public distrust over how the State treats its natural heritage. What officials describe as a routine safety meas ure has left many resi dents shocked, with vil lagers alleging that the iconic banyan was reduced to a shadow of its former self under the pretext of trimming hazardous branches. For generations, the sprawling tree at Dhavli Junction on the Ponda-Mar gao road served as a land mark and gathering spot. Images of its heavily cut canopy have dominated lo cal social media platforms in recent days, triggering criticism and grief in equal measu...