SRINAGAR — The alleged damage to century-old sweet chestnut trees on the University of Kashmir campus has triggered outrage among environmental activists, with the Jammu and Kashmir Climate Action Group (JKCAG) accusing the university administration of damaging heritage trees under the name of pruning.
JKCAG Chairman alleged that several sweet chestnut trees (Castanea sativa) near the university’s History Department had suffered extensive damage during a pruning exercise carried out by the administration.
He said the trees, which are part of Kashmir’s botanical heritage, were planted nearly a century ago during the reign of Maharaja Hari Singh.
“These sweet chestnut trees are heritage trees which were planted during the period of Maharaja Hari Singh across several places in Kashmir, including the present-day University of Kashmir,” Bhat said.
According to Bhat, the species was introduced to Kashmir around 100 years ago by Mohammad Rehman Affindi, whom he described as a friend and Oxford University classmate of Maharaja Hari Singh.
He alleged that major branches of two chestnut trees near the History Department had been removed, causing extensive damage to the heritage trees.
“Cutting down these trees is a serious issue. With our intervention, we stopped the axing of other chestnut trees, but unfortunately, the University of Kashmir calls it ‘pruning’, even though all the huge branches of two chestnut trees near the History Department have been cut down,” he said.
The university administration’s explanation has also drawn criticism on social media, with users questioning whether the extensive removal of branches could be considered routine pruning.
The University of Kashmir said that the pruning of two chestnut trees on its campus was carried out after their overgrown branches caused damage to the adjacent Department of Economics building. The university maintained that pruning of aged trees posing risks to human life and infrastructure was a standard landscaping practice.
“The University is fully committed to promoting scientifically informed, environmentally sustainable and safe plantation across the campus. Over the past decade, it has planted more than 10,000 Deodar trees and hundreds of other indigenous plant species across its campuses. The University requests all stakeholders to refrain from portraying routine tree pruning in a negative manner,” the statement said.
JKCAG has urged the concerned authorities to intervene and prevent further damage to the remaining trees. The organisation has also appealed to Dr Karan Singh, son of Maharaja Hari Singh, to take up the matter.
“We seek the personal intervention of authorities and also Dr Karan Singh sahib, whose father Maharaja Hari Singh had ordered the plantation of these trees,” the organisation said in a statement.
The group also recalled a similar incident in 2020, alleging that around 50 sweet chestnut trees were cut down in the New Theed area of Harwan for the construction of a power grid station. — (KIMS)