PANJIM, Feb. 24 -- Team Herald

A part of the lone banyan tree at Vodakade, Porvorim was damaged allegedly by the contractor building the elevated six-lane corridor on Monday night.

Environmentalists alleged that the tree was partly damaged ahead of matter in the High Court of Bombay at Goa on Tuesday. This overnight conspiracy to bring down the tree in spite of the stay by the High Court against cutting of the tree at Porvorim Highway 66.

The tree is situated near Khapreshwar Temple. The Temple committee and the environmentalists have strongly opposed any attempt to translocate the banyan tree at Porvorim, after the condition of five translocated tress were prercarious. The Porvorim police later rushed to the site to do the panchanama,...