The race to save Kashmir's iconic chinar trees

DW (English)

Kashmir's majestic chinar trees are in decline due to urbanization. Conservationists and authorities are trying to protect the iconic species with planting programs and geotagging. Chinars can stop soil erosion and support bird species like owls.

Transcript

00:00Beneath the chenar, I waited in vain, Where once your footsteps kissed the earth.

00:15The leaves whispered, she will return, But the wind carried only your silence.

00:22O chenar, you shade a lonely heart, A witness to love, now lost in time.

00:31The poem Under the Chenar translated from Kashmiri.

00:35It was written by one of Kashmir's most famous poets,

00:39Rasool Mir, an ode to the chenar tree penned in the 19th century.

00:47For Kashmiris, the chenar is more than just a tree.

00:51It's a cultural icon. Poet and cultural expert Gulshan Badri says

00:56the tree is part of Kashmir's heritage.

01:03In the past, when people wanted to discuss matters at the village level,

01:07they would say, let's meet under the chenar tree.

01:10The chenar was a platform, a stage, an auditorium where everyone would gather.

01:16Important discussions and decisions regarding village affairs took place beneath its branches.

01:21It was an integral part of our traditions.

01:24Writers and poets would often sit beneath its shade.

01:28Back then, the chenar tree was the only refuge from the summer heat.

01:39One of the world's largest chenar trees stands on the outskirts of Srinagar.

01:45It's over 700 years old.

01:47Very few of these oriental plane trees now reach that kind of age.

01:53In the 1970s, Kashmir had 42,000 chenar trees.

01:59Experts believe today there are less than half that number.

02:06The speed at which they're disappearing is alarming.

02:10Many chenars have been felled to make way for new roads or buildings.

02:15Others are simply chopped down for firewood.

02:20Climate change is also taking its toll on these majestic trees

02:24with periods of dry weather getting longer and hotter.

02:30Researcher Akhtar Malik from the University of Kashmir

02:33is concerned about the decline of the trees.

02:37He says they're also important for the climate in Kashmir.

02:41The chenar reduces the heat in cities during the summer,

02:45helping to regulate the temperature.

03:11The Kashmir University campus is itself home to the Naseem Bagh Garden.

03:20In the 17th century, Mughal Emperor Akbar had 1,200 chenar trees planted here.

03:26Around 500 have since been lost.

03:29The Shalimar Garden is another historic Mughal garden in Srinagar.

03:33Here, many chenar trees are in a critical condition.

03:37Now, in winter, everything is dormant.

03:41But in the spring and summer months, every tree that's missing is felled.

03:46With a height of up to 35 metres, the chenars provide a home for numerous creatures.

03:55If we talk of its role in biodiversity, particularly with respect to faunal diversity,

04:01this chenar tree provides a habitat for birds, insects.

04:06If we talk of some birds like owl species, which was very common two decades back in Kashmir.

04:14Now, it is rare because we have changed.

04:18Our entire landscape has changed because of this urbanisation, because of this habitat change.

04:26Vis-a-vis, we have reduced the cover of trees with reference to chenar tree.

04:32And it is the chenar trees that shape the appearance

04:35of numerous tourist attractions in Kashmir.

04:38The magnificent gardens and the islands of Char Chenar would be inconceivable without them.

04:44In the 17th century, a brother of the then Mughal Emperor

04:48had the island created in the middle of the Dal Lake and had chenar trees planted on it.

04:54Local boat owners bring hundreds of tourists to the island every year.

04:59And tourism is an important source of income in Kashmir.

05:02Last year alone, the region drew 3 million visitors.

05:10So, it's in Kashmir's interest to ensure that the tree population does not decline any further.

05:17Dr. Syed Tariq is a project coordinator at the Forest Research Institute in Srinagar.

05:24He and his team are currently cataloguing the trees and geotagging them.

05:35We put a QR code on it.

05:37You can scan the code with any phone and find out the details of that particular chenar.

05:42What are its attributes, how tall is it,

05:45what about the branches and what condition is the tree in.

05:53If it's been attacked by pests, any kind of infestation,

05:59that information will be included as well.

06:01So, every chenar now has its own ID.

06:06Less than a hundred kilometres from Srinagar,

06:09Abdul Ahad Khan is working hard, planting chenar trees.

06:13He ekes out a living by working day jobs in agriculture or construction.

06:18But a few years ago, he discovered his passion for Kashmir's iconic tree.

06:23He grows all the seedlings himself.

06:27In the first few years after planting,

06:29he uses organic methods to ensure they stay healthy and have enough nutrients.

06:39I've seen these trees all over Kashmir, although in small numbers.

06:43But I've never seen anyone actually planting them.

06:46And this thought fascinated me.

06:48Could this be a project?

06:49I decided I would start it myself.

06:52These are magnificent trees.

06:55Magnificent indeed.

06:57And with determined efforts,

06:59Kashmir may hope to be able to retain its cultural icon,

07:04so that these beautiful trees can once again flourish for generations to come.

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