EPG denounces felling of centuries-old Chinar trees in Rani Bagh, Anantnag

Srinagar: The Environmental Policy Group (EPG) has strongly denounced  the deeply distressing felling of centuries-old Chinar trees in Rani Bagh, Anantnag.

These trees, believed to be over 500 years old, hold immense historical, cultural, and ecological value. Their destruction represents a blatant violation of the laws established to protect such heritage and a grave injustice to the legacy of Kashmir, EPG said in a statement to Ziraat Times.

This tragic event comes on the heels of an important geo-tagging initiative undertaken by the Jammu and Kashmir government, which aimed to safeguard Chinar trees across the region, making these developments all the more shocking and intolerable.
It is highly alarming that this incident is not isolated. Recent infrastructure development projects, including the widening of the Narbal-Delina road, saw the uprooting of over 100 Chinar trees, EPG noted.

Earlier also EPG protested the cutting of chinar trees in the parking area of the Wildlife Warden Kashmir’s office at Hokersar Wetland. This action has raised significant concerns regarding the impact on local biodiversity and the environment. The widening of the Narabal-Baramulla Road has further exacerbated the situation, leading to the removal of several chinars along the route up to Delina.

Such actions have raised serious concerns about the failure to enforce existing conservation laws, such as the Jammu and Kashmir Preservation of Specified Trees Act, 1969. This act, alongside the region’s Chinar Conservation Project, lays out clear barring on the felling of Chinar trees without appropriate permissions. Such unapproved destruction of a revered and iconic element of Kashmir’s landscape and identity undermines the region’s cultural ethos and ecological stability, EPG further said.

The Chinar tree is more than just a symbol of natural beauty; it is also an environmental beacon, offering vital ecological benefits such as temperature regulation, biodiversity support, and an antidote to shrinking green cover, Faiz Bakshi, EPG convenor said.

EPG demands an immediate and independent investigation into the felling of the Rani Bagh trees and any similar incidents stemming from infrastructure development or negligence. All those responsible for permitting or executing such destruction must be held accountable under the law.

Furthermore, all ongoing and future projects that may pose risks to heritage trees must prioritize alternative solutions that preserve these valuable assets. The disregard for existing statutory protections must cease immediately, and decisive action must be taken by the administration to ensure meaningful implementation of conservation regulations, it said.

It is imperative that the authorities expand and strengthen the geo-tagging and monitoring of Chinar trees as part of the Chinar Conservation Project, EPG demanded.