SRINAGAR: Authorities in Indian-administered Kashmir are geo-tagging thousands of ‘Chinar’ trees to create a comprehensive database for their management and help conserve them amid threats from rising urbanization, road-widening projects and diseases.
The trees are a cultural and ecological symbol of the restive northern territory, which is claimed in full by India and Pakistan and ruled in part by both, but hundreds of them have been lost over the last few decades.
Under the geo-tagging process, QR codes are attached to each surveyed tree, recording information about 25 characteristics, including its geographical location, health, age, and growing patterns, enabling conservationists to track changes and address risk factors.
The public can also scan the code to access the details, Syed Tariq, the head of the project, told Reuters.
“We have geo-tagged nearly 29,000 trees, but we still have more small-sized trees that haven’t been tagged... These will be tagged in due course,” Tariq said.
The Chinar trees take around 150 years to reach their full size of up to 30 meters (100 ft) in height with a girth of 10 to 15 meters (30 to 50 ft) at ground level.
The oldest Chinar in the region lies on the outskirts of the city of Srinagar and is around 650 years old.
“We are using a USG-based (ultrasonography-based) gadget capable of determining risk levels without human intervention. The gadget will assess risk factors, eliminating the need for manual evaluation,” Tariq said.
The portion of Kashmir under India’s control was roiled by violence for decades as militants fought security forces, but the conflict has eased in recent years, leading to a gradual rise in development projects and tourism.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Kashmir last week to inaugurate a tunnel and, during the event, said that numerous road and rail connectivity projects in the region would be completed in the coming days.
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India turns to geo-tagging to conserve Kashmir’s iconic ‘Chinar’ trees
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India turns to geo-tagging to conserve Kashmir’s iconic ‘Chinar’ trees
- The trees are a cultural and ecological symbol of the restive northern territory
- The trees face threats from rising urbanization, road-widening projects, diseases
Erdogan warns Black Sea should not be ‘area of confrontation’ after strikes
ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday warned that the Black Sea should not turn into an “area of confrontation” between Russia and Ukraine, after several strikes in recent weeks.
“The Black Sea should not be seen as an area of confrontation. This would not benefit Russia or Ukraine. Everyone needs safe navigation in the Black Sea,” he was quoted as telling reporters aboard his plane, according to the official Anadolu news agency.
A Russian air strike damaged a Turkish-owned vessel in a port in Ukraine’s Black Sea region of Odesa, Kyiv and the operator said on Friday.
The attack came hours after Erdogan had raised the issue personally with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a summit in Turkmenistan.
Erdogan had called for a “limited ceasefire” concerning attacks on ports and energy facilities in the Russia-Ukraine war, during the face-to-face talks with Putin, according to his office.
On the plane, Erdogan said he mainly discussed the war and peace efforts with Putin, Anadolu reported.
“Like all other actors, Mr.Putin knows very well where Turkiye stands on this issue,” he said.
“After this meeting we held with Putin, we hope to have the opportunity to also discuss the peace plan with US President (Donald) Trump,” he added.
“Peace is not far away, we can see it.”
Turkiye, which has sought to maintain relations with Moscow and Kyiv throughout the war, controls the Bosphorus Strait, a key passage for transporting Ukrainian grain and Russian oil toward the Mediterranean.
Over the past weeks, several attacks also targeted Russia-linked tankers in the Black Sea, some of which were drone attacks claimed by Kyiv.
The attacks sparked harsh criticism from Ankara, which summoned envoys from both Russia and Ukraine.
“The Black Sea should not be seen as an area of confrontation. This would not benefit Russia or Ukraine. Everyone needs safe navigation in the Black Sea,” he was quoted as telling reporters aboard his plane, according to the official Anadolu news agency.
A Russian air strike damaged a Turkish-owned vessel in a port in Ukraine’s Black Sea region of Odesa, Kyiv and the operator said on Friday.
The attack came hours after Erdogan had raised the issue personally with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a summit in Turkmenistan.
Erdogan had called for a “limited ceasefire” concerning attacks on ports and energy facilities in the Russia-Ukraine war, during the face-to-face talks with Putin, according to his office.
On the plane, Erdogan said he mainly discussed the war and peace efforts with Putin, Anadolu reported.
“Like all other actors, Mr.Putin knows very well where Turkiye stands on this issue,” he said.
“After this meeting we held with Putin, we hope to have the opportunity to also discuss the peace plan with US President (Donald) Trump,” he added.
“Peace is not far away, we can see it.”
Turkiye, which has sought to maintain relations with Moscow and Kyiv throughout the war, controls the Bosphorus Strait, a key passage for transporting Ukrainian grain and Russian oil toward the Mediterranean.
Over the past weeks, several attacks also targeted Russia-linked tankers in the Black Sea, some of which were drone attacks claimed by Kyiv.
The attacks sparked harsh criticism from Ankara, which summoned envoys from both Russia and Ukraine.
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