A 380-year-old Chinar tree in the renowned Mughal Garden, Nishat Bagh, on the banks of Dal Lake, can now be located via a QR Code. Recent developments have made it easier to trace Chinar trees in the Kashmir Valley using Google.
NDTV recently highlighted this ancient Chinar tree in Nishat Bagh, which has stood for nearly four centuries. Chinar trees have witnessed significant historical changes in Jammu and Kashmir, but their numbers have drastically declined over the years. To prevent further loss, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has initiated geo-tagging of these trees.
Nishat Bagh alone hosts approximately 145 Chinar trees, some of which are deteriorating. The adjacent Mughal garden contains about 185 Chinar trees, facing similar issues. The forest research department’s recent census revealed that the oldest Chinar is located in Chadoora, Budgam district in central Kashmir.
Fifty years ago, the valley boasted around 42,000 Chinars, but the current number has fallen to less than 20,000, with a third of them being diseased or damaged. In response, the government has launched a Chinar conservation programme. For instance, three Chinars damaged in the 2014 floods were transplanted under this initiative.
Historically, although Chinars originated from Greece, they were introduced to Kashmir from Persia. Mughal rulers considered them royal trees and planted them extensively across the valley, including 1,100 in Naseem Bagh at Kashmir University. The Dogra rulers also preserved these trees, declaring them government property and making their cutting a crime. However, many Chinars have been removed in recent years for development projects, such as road widening. For instance, around 75 Chinars were cut down to expand the Srinagar-Qazigund highway.
Aside from Srinagar, significant Chinar populations can be found in Bijbhera, Budgam, Kokeenag, and Anantnag.
