KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
MY Tarigami-led State Marxist Party Saturday expressed serious concern over the adverse brunt caused by the cutting of poplar trees on rural economy.
In a statement, the party state secretary said that the damages that would be caused by this drastic exercise on overall economy will be around Rs 7000 Crore.
“The poplar and willow pollens are responsible for only 18.2% of tested pollution in the air as against the projections of mounting problem created by the pollens,” said state secretary CPI (M), Ghulam Nabi Malik.
He remarked that as per experts—among pollens in Kashmir valley, common grass (Dramun) pollens trigger allergy reactions in 73.5 per cent of the population followed by pine species and Chinar in 62.7 per cent and 59.3 per cent respectively.
Malik said despite cutting poplar trees, people of Kashmiri allergic to pollens will continue to have problems due to other allergens, indoor as well as outdoors.
“By cutting poplar tree the traditional beauty of Kashmir will be damaged in addition to economic down growth especially in rural areas and there may be adverse environmental consequences,” he added.
He, however, said that because of safety issues presence of poplar trees along roadside, residential houses, flood channels and river banks could be stopped.
Malik suggested that pruning of poplar trees annually could control pollution and the same can act as a major source of firewood which would eventually save forests of the state.
“Cutting poplars the way it is being done on government directions rural economy has suffered much in absence of purchasers for the same,” he said. “Instead of going for a mass scale cutting of Russian poplars, as an alternative, domestic poplar could replace Russian poplar through a gradual process.”
