J&K government completes geo-tagging of about 30 thousand Chinese plane trees of ecological heritage

STC NEWS DESK
SRINAGAR, NOVEMBER 06 (STC): Jammu and Kashmir government has completed the geo-tagging of about 30 thousand Chinese plane trees of ecological heritage and historical importance and created a comprehensive digital database for their conservation, monitoring and management.
According to officials, this important step has been taken with the aim of scientific conservation of the Chinese plane trees, their continuous monitoring and preserving authentic information related to them in digital records.
Details about this development were revealed in a high-level meeting held under the chairmanship of Minister for Forests, Environment and Environmental Affairs Altaf Ahmed Wani. In the meeting, officials said that metal plates decorated with QR codes have been installed on 10 thousand prominent Chinese plane trees in Kashmir. Similarly, 3500 Peepal and Banyan trees in Jammu region have also been provided with digital identification through metal plates with QR codes.
According to the authorities, the process of geo-tagging of the remaining Peepal, Banyan and Peepal trees will be completed in the second phase. With the help of geo-tagging and digital records, the location, identity and other related information of the trees can be stored in a systematic manner, which will help in making their monitoring and conservation measures more effective in the future.
Meanwhile, Forest Minister Altaf Ahmed Wani stressed the importance of scientific research in the conservation of forests and natural resources and said that science is the backbone of conservation efforts. He said that research should not be limited to files and laboratories only, but its results should practically reach the forests, farmers and the common people.
He urged the Forest Department and research institutions to connect farmers and local population with research results so that along with conservation of natural resources, new employment and income opportunities are also created for the people. The government’s initiatives for geo-tagging of important trees including the Chinese pine, preparation of digital database, mapping of medicinal plants and conservation of forest seeds are being described as important steps towards scientific conservation of the natural and botanical heritage of Jammu and Kashmir.
(Straight Talk Communications)