Goa, March 8 -- In a poignant turn of events, the Casuarina trees originally planted by Goa's first Chief Minister, Dayanand Bandodkar, are being cut down as part of the renovation of his Samadhi at Miramar Beach. Bandodkar, who served as the Chief Minister from 1963 until his death in 1973, had envisioned planting these trees along the entire coastline of Goa, from Keri Beach in the north to Galgibaga Beach in the south. His goal was to combat sand erosion and protect the coastline from further degradation.

The Casuarina trees have long stood as symbols of Bandodkar's foresight and commitment to preserving Goa's natural landscape. Their thick canopies provided much-needed shade and a scenic backdrop to the Samadhi, a place of reverence ...