SAVE POPLARS IN KASHMIR FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY

By: Prof. Nazir Ahmad Masoodi

Female plants of poplars do not produce pollen. It is cotton produced by the ovary for dispersal of sterile seeds in April-May. Cotton so dispersed cause respiratory ailments. Introduction of Russian poplar in India has not been reported in the available literature. However, destruction of Populus deltoids (female clones) in the name of so called Russian clones may actually lead to environmental vulnerability in near future. Male, clones if mass propagated, will produce enormous amount of invisible microscopic pollens, a real threat to human health.

Administration, under court directions, is bound to cut whole population of this species, and since last 2-3 years atrocious loss to both economy and environment has been caused.

Siltation of river beds is outcome of soil erosion from sloppy land surface that has been rendered naked due to timber mining. On account of inadequate forest cover, Kashmir is losing millions of tons of top soil annually. This fast rate of soil erosion is sufficient to choke our streams and
rivers consequently increasing frequency of floods. Scientific evidences have proved beyond any doubt that forests increase the evapo-transpiration and infiltration, resulting in reduced runoff, reducing possibility of stream over flow.

Consideration of meager cultivable land availability, population pressure, present state of forests, their protection and production potential and future demand of timber, would possibly justify our claim to contest the court order.

Different clones of Populous deltoids, were introduced in Kashmir in 1984 under social forestry project sponsored by World Bank. Exponential growth in population, accelerated decline in production and productivity potential of natural forests, enlarged horticulture industry, non availability of timber from demarcated forests and higher economic returns encouraged mass
plantation of poplars outside conventional forest area. According to an estimate 16.5 million poplars exist in vale of Kashmir. In other parts of the world these poplars are grown under short rotation forestry (6-8 years) and harvested before flowering age.

Contrary to this, poplars in Kashmir are cultivated for timber and harvested when diameter at breast is more than 4 feet (14- 16 years). Carbon held by forests is more than 90 percent of total CO2 fixed in living organisms on land.

During the process of photosynthesis, trees use 1.85g of CO2 to produce 1.0 g of biomass and subsequently release 1.22 g of oxygen. One ha of poplar plantation fixes 20.0 to 54.5 tons of atmospheric carbon and enrich it with 12.2 to 42.70 tons of oxygen. One mature poplar tree transpires about 50 gallons of water in one day. 1.65 crore poplar trees present in vale of
Kashmir therefore may be purifying more than 83 crore gallons of water.

Geographical area of Vale of Kashmir is 15, 94,800 ha including 8, 12,800 ha under demarcated forests (working plan 2011). Dense forest cover of vale is only 3, 29,600 ha (20.66 per cent of GA). 4, 83,200 ha are therefore degraded. Geographical area of Jammu division is 26, 29,300 ha including legal forest area of 12, 06,600 ha. Dense forest cover of Jammu division is 5, 80,700 ha (22.08 percent of GA) only. Degraded forests have spread over 6, 25,900 ha.
Growing stock of wood in demarcated forest is merely 232 million cubic meters (114.6 m3per ha only).

Annual production is just 41,000 m3 of timber and 20,000 tons of fuel wood.
Contrary to this, tree grooves outside demarcated forests, are spread over an area of 4.76 lakh ha.

With growing stock of 107.45 million cubic meter, these grooves produce annually 6,03,636 m3 (15 times more than demarcated forest) of timber and more than 2.66 lakh tons of fire wood (Indian State of Forest Report -2011, 2013).

Trees grooves outside forest in vale of Kashmir predominantly contain 90 percent poplars and willows. Timber mining in the past has rendered these forests almost non- renewable. A renewable resource is basically one that can be restored to the point of reuse after a period of time that is within our current economic or social planning time scale. Resources not meeting these criteria are classified as non renewable.

Population of JK as per 2011 was 12.548 million. This population required 6.5 million cubic meters of wood for house construction, furniture and agricultural implement and 2.091 million cubic meters fire wood. Just after one year in 2021 population of UT will be 15.6 million, requiring about 10.75 million cubic meters firewood and timber. Estimated demand of
wood by 2031 for projected population of 19.2 million will be around 13.0 million cubic meters. (Estimates of wood used in commercial industries have not been included in this consumption (Forest Survey of India-2011, 2013)).

Future availability of wood from demarcated forest cannot be projected because growing stock in forests has remained static since last 36 years. Although extraction of timber and firewood from demarcated forests has remained negligible.

Despite so much land under forests, J and K imports more than 50.0 lakh cubic feet of timber annually. Complete dependence on imports has depleted billions of rupees from resource starved UT.

Poplars and willows are true miracle species and extremely versatile and useful trees. Their outstanding performance in the phyto-remediation of severely degraded sites, rehabilitation of fragile ecosystems, quick restoration of degraded landscapes and combating of desertification is
unrivaled by any other species. As fast growers, they are effective at sequestering carbon and thus contribute to both adaptation and mitigation of the effects of climate change. Poplars and willows are used for energy purposes as a substitute for fossil fuels, contributing to greenhouse
gas emission reductions. Increased public awareness of air and water pollution, global climate change and soil erosion have prompted several countries to develop new techniques for the cultivation of poplars and willows focusing on the protection and conservation of the sources of
livelihoods rather than on production of wood and fiber.

Conclusion:

• FOREST DEPARTMENT or NGOs SHOULD APPROACH HONOURABLE COURT FOR REVIEV OF THE ORDER.
• POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE IS TO PRUNE ALL EXISTING POPLARS, BIANNUALLY (AFTER 6 YEARS AGE) DURING DORMANCY, FROM OCTOBER TO FEBRUARY TO GET RID OF COTTON MENACE IN OUR ENVIRONMENT. BUT PRUNING HAS TO BE IMPOSED RELIGIOUSLY.

The writer is former Dean Faculty of Forestry, SKUAST-Kashmir. E-mail: [email protected]