Chattergam Chinar tree in Kashmir identified as Asia’s oldest

A centuries-old Chinar tree in the Chattergam area of Budgam, Jammu and Kashmir, identified in the Legislative Assembly as Asia’s oldest, is the focus of local efforts for heritage preservation and tourism development. Estimated to be nearly 650 years old, the tree remains green and healthy despite the loss of some older, dried branches over the centuries.

Local residents have called for improved infrastructure, scientific conservation, and landscaping to transform the site into a major heritage tourism destination. To protect the tree, authorities have implemented several measures, including installing iron fencing around the critical root zone to prevent soil compaction and root suffocation.

As part of a broader initiative to monitor the region's Chinar population, the government has begun geo-tagging trees and assigning QR codes to them for digital monitoring. A survey by the J&K Forest Research Institute has previously accounted for approximately 30,000 Chinar trees across Kashmir.