The J&K Forest Department has geotagged 28,560 heritage Chinar trees in Kashmir with digital QR-enabled scannable plates containing 25 tree attributes.

Aiming to preserve the heritage value of Chinar, the Forest Department on Saturday launched a Chinar plantation drive within the Civil Secretariat premises here.

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Minister for Forests Javed Ahmed Rana, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Commissioner/Secretary Sheetal Nanda, and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Suresh Kumar Gupta planted Chinar saplings on the occasion.

Notably, Chinar Day is celebrated every year on 15 March throughout the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, with plantation drives held at specific locations till the season of plantation.

Speaking on the occasion, Javed Rana highlighted the importance of Chinar as a heritage tree and termed it as an indicator of rich plant biodiversity with tremendous environmental benefits.

He said Chinar is a historic tree which symbolises “our cultural identity and heritage”, urging people to plant more and more Chinar trees. He directed officials to take all necessary steps to conserve and preserve the existing plants

Maintaining that Chinar is an asset of Kashmir that attracts tourists and enhances the beauty of the landscape, the Minister said that there is a need to promote its plantation at suitable locations.

The Minister appreciated the collaborative efforts of the Forest Department and J&K FRI in promoting Chinar trees in Jammu and Kashmir. He said steps such as the geotagging of Chinars in the Kashmir Valley, Chinar QR codes, and the establishment of a Vegetative Multiplication Garden (VMG) of Chinar in Srinagar would go a long way in preserving and conserving this treasured heritage.

Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo lauded the initiative taken by the Forest Department.

Sheetal Nanda and Suresh Kumar Gupta stressed that the plantation drive is necessary for creating awareness among the people about the importance of Chinar trees.

The department has targeted planting of 1,000 Chinar trees on the occasion of Chinar Day throughout J&K.

Chinar saplings are being distributed free of cost across all districts of the UT to those interested in planting them.