A recent video of workers cutting a“centuries-old chinar” in Kashmir went viral. The branches lay scattered on the road, and people gathered glumly around the stump. Many spoke with sadness. Some were angry. The tree had seen generations grow up around it. Losing it felt like losing a small part of home.

The public reaction showed that the worry is no longer about a single tree. Kashmir is watching a slow disappearance of its iconic canopy that shaped its landscape and memories.

For decades, chinars stood at the heart of life in the valley. They shaded busy markets, village squares, schoolyards and shrine courtyards. Children played under them. Families took photos beneath their autumn leaves. These trees gave colour and calm to places that held everyday stories.

Today, many of them are being cut for road widening, new drains and construction work. They are treated as obstacles, even though they are part of the region's identity.

Kashmir needs better roads, and people agree on that. Travel is longer and more stressful than it should be. The problem is how casually heritage trees get removed for these projects. In many cases, a road could curve slightly or a drain could be shifted. A planner could look for a way to save the tree.

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