In May every year, doctors in the Kashmir Valley treat a high number of patients, especially children, with respiratory diseases caused by Russian poplars.
About:
Name:
The name “Russian poplar” is a misnomer and has nothing to do with Russia.
The tree is a Western American species known as Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides) in the US.
The species is Locally called as Russi Frass.
History in Kashmir: The variety of poplar trees was introduced in Kashmir in 1982 from the US under a Word Bank-aided social forestry scheme.
Potential benefits: The species takes less time (10-15 years) to grow, as compared to the Kashmir poplar that takes 30-40 years. Due to their high yield, poplars are intensively used in the timber and construction industry.
Health concerns: During summers, populous deltoids—female poplar—sheds a cotton-like material carrying seeds that cause allergy and aggravate respiratory disorders. This cotton has become an irritant in the recent past for the locals as well as tourists.
View of experts: Three years ago, this led to the Jammu & Kashmir High Court ordering chopping of all Russian poplars in the Valley. Some scientists, on the other hand, have concluded that the seeds from these trees do not cause allergy.
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