saligaopanaji tempers flared at colvale on monday as the highway expansion work contractor began cutting the villages six iconic mango trees which stand at a spot locally named ambeani after the trees by afternoon angry locals and protesters gathered at the site by which time a large part of the trees had been hacked pwd officials on monday denied having any knowledge of the contractor having started cutting the trees meanwhile police were called in to bring the situation under control in colvalenoted fashion designer and colvale resident wendell rodricks shot off an open letter to chief minister pramod sawant accusing him of reneging on his assurance that the trees would not be cut you personally dialled the pwd minister in front of me and assured me the trees would not be cut now they have started cutting them how can we ever trust you cm sawant he wrotegoa green brigade through its coordinator avertino miranda filed an application before the court of the conservator of forests and appellate authority under the preservation of trees act 1984 green brigade is seeking an interim stay order on the cutting of the six trees the matter will come up for hearing at junta house in panaji at 3pm on tuesday the ngo told the court that while the assistant engineer pwd informed the range forest officer at campal that they would cut the six mango trees at colvale on december 14 and 15 the pwd contractor started cutting the trees on december 16 without informing the range forest officer which was the condition laid downwith the tree felling activity on in full swing there were arguments between the activists and some shopkeepers who run businesses along the highway and were in favour of the trees being felled as the traffic situation was going out of controlgoa green brigade filed an application before the court of the conservator of forests and appellate authority under the preservation of trees act 1984 it is seeking an interim stay order on the cutting of the six trees