Srinagar- The iconic ‘Poplar Avenue’ in the 111-years-old Amar Singh College in Srinagar is no more as 234 standing poplar trees were chopped down by the college administration, sparking outrage among the netizens and students alike.
Infuriated by the vandalizing green tunnel of poplar trees at Amar Singh College, many students threatened to move to the court against what was termed as an irresponsible act. However, the college administration deafened the move, saying the trees had grown old, posing threat to life and property.
On social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, images of fallen poplar trees incited indignation among users, especially students, who largely blamed the college administration for seriously damaging the poplar avenue.
Terming the axing of hundreds of poplar trees within the college campus as unfortunate and arbitrary, experts said the ancient stone-and-brick building, designed in the Indo-British architectural style, was given a unique character by these poplar trees.
Approximately 182 poplar trees, which have reached to their maximum height, they claimed, were planted to create an avenue at the principal front of the building, facing onto a street.
State Convener of the INTACH Kashmir Chapter Mohammad Saleem Beigh expressed his disappointment over the images and videos of the fallen poplar trees surfaced on social media sites.
“I was shocked to see the very healthy trees chopped down. Poplar trees are a part of the cultural fabric that encompasses the entire area including the college building. In what sense, therefore, is it legitimate to do away with a single component? questioned Beigh.
Principal Amar Singh College Professor Sheikh Aijaz Bashir defended the move, saying the trees that were hacked down had grown old, posing a serious threat to life.
“As soon as I joined the institution, I was informed about this matter. The Forest Development Corporation was awarded the contract to chop poplar trees. Since there had been several reports of poplar tree falls at the campus, I immediately contacted the Social Forestry Department about the problem,” Prof. Aijaz told Kashmir Observer.
One of the trees, he said, had fallen on a house adjacent to the nursing home that snowballed into a major issue later while similar incidents were reported at the college from time to time.
“Since 4000 students enter the institution through the main entrance, they were also dealing with this problem, which was somewhat concerning. The Social Forestry Department evaluated the trees, and the State Forest Corporation then placed them up for auction through a proper tendering,” he added.
However, many active students and alumni’s taking to the social media platforms criticized the college administration, terming the move as arbitrary.
“The so-called ‘development administration’ has cold-heartedly butchered the aesthetics of Amar Singh College, my beloved alma mater, by mercilessly axing the picturesque poplar tree tunnel. My heart sinks seeing images of what was once a serene haven, where I cherished my college days, now ruthlessly stripped of its greenery. The shameless destruction of our beautiful landscapes is unforgivable,” Junaid Dar, a former student who works as a journalist, wrote on X.
Nazir Ganaie, another alumni wrote “In a bizarre move, authorities have chopped down a beautiful green tunnel of poplars, symbolic to our Alma mater, #AmarSinghCollege#, Srinagar. A part of our heritage is gone. An emotion lost. History erased. People behind this manmade disaster should hang their heads in shame”
Meanwhile, the alumni of Amar Singh College, in a statement expressed deep sense of concern regarding the chopping of poplar trees.
“As cherished part of our cultural heritage, these trees represent not only the natural beauty of this historic college but the collective history of thousands of students who have walked in through its gates,” the statement reads.
The alumni demand high level inquiry be initiated to ascertain whether adequate thought was given to the course of actions and what alternatives were considered.
Chopping Done In Compliance With Law: A.S College
The Amar Singh College Authorities today clarified that a recent tree auction was conducted by the Forest Development Corporation within the College premises and consequent upon that cutting of Willow/ Robina and Poplar trees was done under due process of law.
The clarification was issued after the College Authorities faced severe criticism on the issue with several people expressing their concern regarding the falling of Green Avenue of college on social media. Due to this, the college administration came across a lot of lapses and misinformation circulating on the social media regarding the issue.
Divulging the details, it was revealed that during 2014 floods in Kashmir the institution remained immersed in water for a long duration of time. The deluge not only damaged the infrastructure but also severely damaged the trees. The trees started uprooting in minor windstorms and causing damage to the surrounding structures and began to pose grave safety concerns for the students, visitors and staff.
Several grievances regarding safety and health concerns were received by the college administration during this period and are well documented in the college records. These complaints underscored the urgent need for the administration to address the safety challenges posed by the poplar trees.
The matter was taken up with Social Forestry Department in 2018-19 by then college authorities and the trees were numbered by the concerned department and put to auction by the J&K State Forest Corporation vide an Open Auction Notice No. 499-510/CGM/N/SFC/S, Dated: 29/05/2019.
This notice issued by General Manager North J&K Forest Corporation sought bids for the cutting of 202 poplar trees within the campus. The notice listed 15 locations for auction and Amar Singh College figured as 10th location in said open auction bid list.
The bidding process was hampered due to lockdown and subsequent restrictions during Covid-19 Pandemic. With the postponement of the process, the aged and weakened trees within the Amar Singh College campus continued to pose grave safety threats. Over the last few years, the campus witnessed a number of instances where trees got uprooted, highlighting the persistent danger they posed to the safety and well-being of the college community.
The community members living in the vicinity of the college complained a number of times about the potential threat caused by these aged trees and also represented their grievances before the district administration. The college also received the communication from Nodal officer Grievance cell under the reference no: DCS/SDM/GRIEV/19/1259-62, dated: 10-05-2019, asking the college administration to take cognizance of a grievance on LG Grievance portal regarding the health-related problems caused by the pollen seeds from the poplars.
Also, there were specific instances within the college where the big trees fell in the campus during wind storms, fortunately after office hours, which contained the extent of damage.
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