In South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, a quiet but significant conservation effort is underway. Local residents, many of them elderly, watch with a mix of awe and curiosity as officials place digital geo-tags on the district’s majestic chinar trees, an iconic symbol of the Valley’s heritage and identity.
These towering giants, once vulnerable to illegal logging and encroachments, are now under the watchful eye of technology. The geo-tagging initiative, led by the local administration, aims to protect the chinars by creating a tamper-proof digital record of each tree’s location and details.
“This is more than just a tag; it’s a shield for our heritage,” says a local official overseeing the project. The move marks a new era of conservation in the region, blending tradition with technology to ensure that these trees — deeply rooted in Kashmiri culture and history — stand tall for generations to come.
