SRINAGAR: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday criticised Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over the proposed felling of centuries-old Chinar trees in Ganderbal, saying Kashmir’s cultural and natural heritage cannot be replaced through plantation drives.
A Chinar takes generations to reach its glory yet Omar Abdullah thinks saplings can compensate for felling these centuries old icons of Kashmir. You cannot replace centuries of heritage with a plantation drive!
The irony is staggering Omar as Commerce Minister in the BJP led NDA government at the Centre was associated with the ban on world famous Kashmiri Toosh shawls. Now our Chinars face the axe. First a blow to Kashmir’s woven heritage now a threat to its living heritage. Kashmir is not his to dismantle, one tradition and one tree at a time.— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) October 19, 2026
In a post on X, Mehbooba questioned the proposal to remove mature Chinars along the Beehama-Kheer Bhawani and Ganderbal road corridors, arguing that saplings could not compensate for the loss of trees that had taken generations to reach their present stature.
“A Chinar takes generations to reach its glory yet Omar Abdullah thinks saplings can compensate for felling these centuries old icons of Kashmir. You cannot replace centuries of heritage with a plantation drive!” she wrote.
She also drew a parallel with the controversy surrounding Kashmiri Toosh shawls, alleging that Omar Abdullah, during his tenure as Commerce Minister in the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, was associated with the ban on the traditional shawls.
“The irony is staggering. Omar as Commerce Minister in the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre was associated with the ban on world famous Kashmiri Toosh shawls. Now our Chinars face the axe. First a blow to Kashmir’s woven heritage now a threat to its living heritage,” she said.
Mehbooba added that Kashmir’s heritage should not be eroded, one tradition and one tree at a time.
Omar had earlier defended the proposed removal of the trees, citing traffic congestion along the road corridors amid rising vehicle numbers and population growth. He maintained that there was no practical alternative to removing trees obstructing the roads and proposed planting eight to ten replacement Chinars at safer locations away from the main road.
The proposal has also drawn opposition from environmental groups, including the Environmental Policy Group (EPG), which has urged the government to examine alternative road alignments and design modifications before proceeding with the felling.
Omar had also argued that much of the public criticism came from people and groups outside the area who were unfamiliar with the transportation difficulties faced by residents of Ganderbal.
