The census by J&K Forest Research Institute (FRI) has identified more than 30,000 Chinar trees across the Kashmir Valley, the government informed the assembly during the ongoing session. The figure comes amid concerns over the dwindling population of the iconic species across the valley due to construction, developmental projects and urbanisation.
Called Chinar or Chenar in Asia and Boueen in Kashmir, the tree grows up to 30 metres and, with a ground-level girth of 10 to 15 metres, takes around 150 years to reach full size. In 2023, when the FRI survey was ongoing and around 18,000 trees had been enlisted, the institute said that it found at least one-third of the surveyed Chinars “diseased or damaged. The central district of Budgam has one of the oldest trees of the species, stated to be 650 years old. 70 orders for axing/pruning in 3 years The government said 70 orders were issued in Budgam for lopping dried and hazardous branches, while 161 representations were received seeking permission to prune such branches. 650-year-old Chinar gets protection The government said the 650-year-old ‘Chinar Tree’ at Chattergam in Budgam, described as Asia’s oldest, was being protected after some of its branches dried up. The census, which began in spring of 2021, also identified Chinars much older and larger than those previously documented. The FRI team found one such tree in Budgam itself, which appears to be nearly 1,000 years old.
In many cases, the space around the tree base has been choked due to construction, and also there are damages due to natural hazards. The population was once estimated at 42,000- 45,000, with the government attributing the decline to “natural senescence/ageing, diseases and pests, and due to cutting of trees for developmental activities. The trees have been surveyed across all the districts of the Valley, except security forces camps and installations. Responding to a question by Budgam MLA Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi, the department of forests, ecology and environment listed measures being taken to preserve the species. Chinar, also known as the Oriental Plane or Platanus orientalis, is found across Kashmir. Their tops were broken and bases hollow in several cases. The census underscored concerns over the decline in Chinar numbers. “Nobody is allowed to cut down even a branch of chinar without the prior permission from the local administration as per the standing rules thereof. Carving nails, hammering signboards, damaging barks or roots of chinar is not permitted. New chinar saplings are planted each year by the department of floriculture to compensate for the damaged and pruned chinar trees.
“JKFRI has undertaken a survey-based census of Chinar trees in Kashmir, under which around 30,000 Chinar trees have been surveyed, excluding trees present in security campuses and installations,” the response said. “Shrinking of land and burgeoning population are among the reasons badly affecting the chinar health and number,” it said. The government, while listing preservation measures with special reference to Budgam, said cutting of even a branch of Chinar requires prior permission from the local administration. Anybody found doing the same is warned against it,” it said. “The department of floriculture has planted 709 Chinar saplings over the past three years, and 7,134 saplings were distributed free of cost to the general public, educational institutes, and security installations,” the response said. “Protection and preservation measures have been initiated, which include the installation of iron fencing around the critical root zone (buffer zone) of the said chinar, to prevent soil compaction and root suffocation. This will help to avoid any traffic in the root zone,” the government said.
