Russian poplar plantation continues to haunt Srinagarites
New nurseries pop up, Budgam admin sleeps
In brazen violation of the High Court directives that Russian poplar trees be chopped down, the administration has miserably failed to act in south City areas like Rawal Pora, Sanat Nagar, Pir Bagh and Humhama, the inhabitants said.
These City areas fall in the jurisdiction of Budgam district. The inhabitants said none of the existing Russian poplar trees have been cut down but that the administration has allowed new nurseries to come up.
“We many times approached the DC office Budgam and handed over written representations to the concerned but nothing is being done as those undertaking nursery plantation of Russian poplars happen to be influential people,” the complainants said.
They said the new nurseries would be serious threat to areas in future. “When nursery is there one can just imagine the plight of people living amid hundreds of Russian poplars around in the vicinity,” they said.
The residents of Rawal Pora and Rangreth areas said they would voluntarily chop down the existing trees if the “administration goes active”. “But the fact is that the authorities have failed to come out of the slumber,” the locals said.
The Deputy Commissioner Budgam however feigned ignorance about the issue. “No such complaint has come to me,” he said.
Also he said not all Russian poplars could be chopped down. “There is a directive that action can be initiated only against female poplars,” he said.
Meanwhile the inhabitants appealed Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Gazanfar Hussain to personally look into the matter. “Or we will be left with no options but to move Court over administrative failure,” the people said.
