Kashmir chinars get digital protection through geo-tagging with QR-code

IN a move to conserve rich heritage, the iconic Chinar trees in Kashmir have been geo-tagged and equipped with QR-code for digital protection of the Valley's heritage tree.

- FAYAZ WANI @Srinagar

The project, spearheaded by J&K Forest Research Institute (FRI) of J&K Forest Department involves geo-tagging and QR coding of Chinar trees to enable their monitoring and management.

Dr. Syed Tariq, Project Coordinator at FRI said the initiative was started in 2021. "We have surveyed Chinars across the Valley and so far we have geo-tagged 28,500 of them," he said.

The QR-based digital plate has been affixed to each Chinar tree using a specialized spring-enabled metal.

"There is complete information about the specific Chinar tree in the QR code. One can show the code and get instant information about the tree," Tariq said.