Iconic poplar avenue at Amar Singh College axed; folks fume

Over 230 bushes axed throughout campus

Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, Mar 22: The enduring and spectacular poplar avenue of Amar Singh College, which till just lately offered a serene look, now seems barren and destroyed because of the felling of scores of poplar bushes.
Almost 230 bushes have been axed down throughout the complete college campus, with most of them coming from the avenue main from the doorway to the college constructing.
These bushes, which lined each side of the entry street resulting in the historic college constructing, as soon as enhanced its magnificence and contributed to the serenity of the campus.
It’s to be famous right here that the felling of those bushes got here to mild when some college college students and alumni shared photos of the chopped bushes, sparking sharp criticism on-line.
Daniya Qadri, one of many alumni, expressed her dismay by sharing an image of the fallen bushes, asking, “What’s extra hurtful than this?”
It has been reported that the college is present process a makeover with a number of developmental works deliberate. Nonetheless, even college students presently enrolled expressed discomfort with the tree felling.
It’s noteworthy that Amar Singh College is without doubt one of the oldest faculties in Kashmir, established over a century in the past and is understood for heritage, particularly the restoration work of the college constructing executed after the 2014 floods.
The scenic college campus has additionally attracted varied movie crews for capturing means again within the 90s in addition to just lately.
Hakim Sameer Hamdani, an architectural historian and Design Director at INTACH Kashmir, additionally voiced his anger, stating, “First, they constructed a excessive masonry wall, when the plain chain-link fence was clear and aesthetically pleasing. Now this catastrophe; I want somebody can be held accountable for this act of vandalism. How might they get rid of the poplar avenue?”
Former Mayor of Srinagar, Junaid Azim Mattu, echoed the sentiment, describing the chopping of the bushes as a “unhappy spectacle.”
He criticized the decision-maker, stating, “The one that made this determination is extraordinarily ill-suited to be concerned even remotely with an academic establishment. What a completely unhappy, unhappy spectacle. Tragic!”
One other student-who is presently enrolled-said that the axing of years-old poplar bushes had turn into the identification of the college and that it “pains” to see them chopped into logs.
“I don’t know why they’ve executed this, however that is actually painful; the early morning view of those bushes was nothing however pure bliss, however that’s gone now,” he mentioned.
In the meantime, following a web based uproar, the college issued a press release: “Over the previous few years, the campus has witnessed quite a few situations of bushes being uprooted, underscoring the persistent hazard they pose to the security and well-being of the college group.”
The college clarified that sometimes, a poplar tree has a lifespan of round 50 years, and the poplars on the avenue had already exceeded 60 years since they have been planted in 1965.
It additional acknowledged: “Group members residing within the neighborhood of the college have complained quite a few occasions concerning the potential menace posed by these getting old bushes and have additionally introduced their grievances to the eye of the district administration. Moreover, the college obtained communication from the Nodal Officer of the Grievance Cell, requesting the college administration to handle grievances concerning health-related issues brought on by the pollen seeds from the poplars.”
The college added that consistent with its dedication to rising the inexperienced cowl on campus, it has already introduced a large plantation drive of 500 conifer and different bushes scheduled for the month of April.
“The college is establishing micro-forest clusters inside its campus to function very important ‘aeration lungs,’ contributing to improved air high quality and environmental well being on campus.”