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Journalism of Courage
The Jammu & Kashmir government has launched the “Tree Aadhaar” mission for the conservation of the region’s chinar trees which have been dwindling in numbers over the years.
The initiative involves conducting a census of chinar trees and giving a unique identity to each one of them.
Here is a look at the initiative and the significance of the tree.
But first, what is a chinar tree?
Chinar, also known as Oriental plane tree (plantus orientalis var cashmeriana), is a maple-like tree with a huge canopy and is found in cool climate regions with sufficient water. The tree is a characteristic of the Eastern Himalayas. It takes 30-50 years for a tree to mature and 150 years to reach its full size. The tree can grow up to a height of 30 metres while its girth ranges from 10 to 15 metres.
How did the tree get its name?
The name ‘chinar’ was given to the tree by Mughals — some suggest it was Mughal emperor Jahangir who coined the name. It is said that the word ‘chinar’ came into use after someone witnessed crimson red chinar tree leaves from a distance during the autumn season, and shouted “Che naar ast” — a Persian phrase meaning “What flame is that?”
Mughals played a significant role in expanding chinar plantations in the Kashmir valley and some parts of the Chenab region in Jammu. It was considered as a “royal tree” by the Mughals. During his reign, Jahangir set up a Chinar garden called Naseem Bagh on the banks of Dal Lake in Srinagar. Naseem Bagh had more than 1,100 chinar trees. Jahangir also planted these trees on a small island in the Dal Lake known as Chaar Chinari (four chinars).
What is the importance of chinar in Kashmir?
Chinar is the “state tree” of Jammu & Kashmir, now a Union Territory. The tree is a major tourist attraction in the valley during the autumn season when its green leaves slowly change into crimson red and golden. The tree finds a special place in the art, literature and craft of Kashmir — local papier mache, embroidery, hand-woven carpets and walnut wood carvings often feature chinar motifs.
The tree is also a special feature of many Muslim and Hindu shrines in the valley. It is said that the oldest surviving chinar — which is around 700 years old — in the valley is located at Chattergam village of central Kashmir’s Budgam and was planted by a Sufi saint.
What is the chinar conservation project?
To cut a chinar tree, the government’s nod is needed, even if the tree is on someone’s private property. However, often, the trees are cut anyway. The new project aims to make sure the government can track the status of each tree.
Thus, the new initiative involves conducting a census of chinar trees across the Kashmir valley and the Chenab region. As part of the process, the government has not only enumerated chinar trees but also given a unique identity — called Tree Aadhaar — to each chinar tree. The census has been done district-wise. Each tree has been geo-tagged.
According to Dr Syed Tariq, the coordinator of the project, 28,560 chinar trees have been enumerated and GI tagged so far.
“We think the total number of chinar trees in Jammu and Kashmir is somewhere between 32,000 to 33,000. Out of these, we have ge-tagged 28,560 trees that are accessible,” he told The Indian Express. “There are some chinar trees which we can’t access because they are in no-go areas like security installations. Other than that we have GI tagged all the trees”.
Tariq also said they have started to put a metallic QR code on chinar trees. The code when scanned will provide information about the particular tree on 25 parameters. These include the longitude and latitude of the tree, its age, height, girth, the number of branches and the health of the tree. It will also provide information about its canopy and eco-threats faced by the tree.
