Shhadok Chinar -letter2

The collapse of Shhadok Chinar (Platanus orientalis) was an unpleasant news for all nature loving communities. During my posting at Chitral, I visited the same area in order to collect data on natural regeneration of some species; on the way my field staff and me had spent an hour under the cool shade of the stately Chinar.

We observed at that time, that people had burnt up most of the hollow part of the trunk by setting fire inside it for heating up and cooking purposes and most of the branches were also slashed for collection of honey; the said tree offered an idyllic shelter for the indigenous honey (Apis cerana), and this could have been exploited as a source of income for the local community of the area.

 Now in Chitral town only three historic trees are left, The Chinar in Jang Bazar mosque, the evergreen experienced oak tree at Uchusht and the evergreen oak at Khorkashandeh. I am planning to tabularize some data on these trees; in this regard I need help of the native people.

Through this letter, I request the local Forest Department, District Government and NGOs working in the area for nature Conservation that a plan should prepared in order to trace such old and prominent trees in the area and preserve them from further disappearance.

Ajaz Ahmed

Pakistan Forest Institute

Peshawar

Cell#03349213427