By Mir Showkat
Ganderbal: Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal has passed orders to all the tehsildars to cut down the Russian Poplar trees, pollen of which has been a public concern.
“It is once again impressed upon the tehsildars of district Ganderbal to identify the said trees within their territorial jurisdiction with the help of Social Forestry Department, Ganderbal, and cut them down on immediate basis.” the order reads.
Despite thousands of Russian poplar trees being chopped off last year, residents across Kashmir Valley are facing yet another seasonal health hazard as the pollen and seeds shed from these trees are making lives of people miserable. Notably, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court had passed an order in 2018 to cut down the poplar trees across the valley.
In 2015, the health hazard had caught the attention of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, which had in May that year passed directions banning the plantation and trade of pollen-producing exotic varieties of poplar across the Kashmir valley, particularly the Russian poplar.
Subsequently, the divisional administration had issued orders for cutting down the Russian poplars. Though scores of poplar trees across the Valley has been cut down, experts have identified ‘Populus deltoides’, a female variety of the exotic poplar, which produces pollen with a lot of cottons fluff and is responsible for the allergy.
