7-member committee to ascertain desirability of lopping Russian poplars in J&K

The division bench of HC on Friday had stayed its 2015 order of felling trees and asked the administration to constitute a committee of experts within four days, to ascertain the desirability of cutting down Russian poplars.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has stopped axing female poplar trees over fears that their pollen could carry the coronavirus. A committee of experts has also been constituted on the directions of the high court

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The division bench of HC on Friday had stayed its 2015 order of felling trees and asked the administration to constitute a committee of experts within four days, to ascertain the desirability of cutting down Russian poplars.

The court directions came after a lawyer approached the chief justice following a directive by the administration early this month asking the deputy commissioners to chop trees for their alleged role in pollen-related allergies so as to avoid a rush in hospitals amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Following the court directions, the administration on Tuesday formed a seven-member committee to examine all aspects relating to the Russian Poplar trees including the “impact of the pollen and fluff” and the “desirability” of felling the trees.

“The committee shall be serviced by the forest, ecology and environment department and shall submit its report within two weeks to the government,” an order by Rohit Sharma, additional secretary to the administration said.

The committee is being headed by principal chief conservator forests Mohit Gera.