Kashmir’s iconic Chinar trees get  geo-tagged with unique Aadhar-like codes

Kashmir’s iconic Chinar trees

Are undergo digital transformation through the ‘Digital Tree Aadhaar’ initiative, using QR codes and GIS technology to monitor their health and location.

Kashmir’s iconic Chinar trees

The project aims to conserve these cultural symbols facing threats from urbanization and climate change.

This initiative will also enable

conservationists  to track changes and address risk factors faced by Chinars – a cultural and ecological symbol of the Kashmir Valley.

Usually  30 metres high,

these trees are known for longevity and spreading crown. It takes around 30 to 50 years for a tree to attain the mature height and around 150 years to grow to its full size.

The chinar tree population in Kashmir

 has declined over the years. Some estimates said Kashmir Valley had 42,000 chinars in the 1970s. The present number ranges from 17,000 to 34,000.

In the FRI project,

a QR-based digital plate is affixed to each surveyed tree using a specialised spring-enabled metal.

Each tree  is given  a unique Aadhaar- like ID

Each tree  is given  a unique Aadhaar- like ID

specifying the year the tree is surveyed, the district it is located and  a serial number for easy identification.

Chinar is a part of our culture. We are  doing a survey to know the total number of chinars, their status, their height, girth, etc

"The long-term plan is to create a chinar atlas of Kashmir. That will give us an idea how many chinar trees are there in each district, with their status,” Tariq said

According to the FRI Project Coordinator, around

chinar trees have been identified, surveyed

28,500

While chinar trees  date back around

SOURCE: PTI

years in the Valley,  a separate research is going on to determine the age of the chinar trees in Kashmir

2,000