Locals of Pattan on Tuesday said that the Poplar trees have become a threat for the patients at SDH Pattan and for the inhabitants of Pattan in North Kashmir’s Baramulla District.
“The area is surrounded with Russian poplar trees,” locals said.
Locals said that the seasonal cotton fluff of Russian poplar trees have become an irritant in the past for them as it causes respiratory problems.
“The presence of Russian poplar trees is a major concern which were planted on the premises of SDH hospital Pattan despite High Court ban and nobody bothers to chop them,” locals said.
Locals demanded the Russian poplar trees must be cut down as soon as possible.
“Asthma and allergic patients are prone to these poplars infection due to which their symptoms are enhanced. Due to the poplars cause the surged patients to suffer under undo cough by which there surged body part gets a lot of pain,”
“With the onset of May, the cotton fluffs is majorly responsible for illness as the cotton-like flakes of Russian poplar trees fall off the trees and are deposited on the surface of water bodies thus affecting the health of public,” a patient namely Irfan Ahmad said.
When venturing out, people cover their faces with masks to avoid allergies caused by the pollens.
Reports of Russian poplar trees causing distress to people were also heard from villages like Pattan, Palhallan, Ussan, Aglar, Goushbugh, Magraypora, Sultanpora and other areas of Pattan.
Scores of people have appealed to cut down the Russian poplar trees immediately in order to end the menace of pollen allergies.
A 6th standard student Amir of GHSS Goushbugh said that students come across pollens on way to their school. “While travelling to school on a road we come across pollens which continuously falls off from the Russian poplar trees and causes infections and we remain ill due to which we are unable to attend the classes regularly,” he said.
“Besides infections, the pollen allergy causes inertia in our body,” Amir added.
Amir's view was seconded by other students in the school playground where this reporter saw scores of Russian poplar trees.
"I can’t breathe properly due to the pollen allergies, most of my friends, family members are suffering from throat infection and fever caused by the cotton fluffs which falls continuously like cotton flakes," said Sajid Wajid, a student of GDC Pattan.
While talking with experts they opined that if there are alternatives than to cut the Russian poplars there must be some interchanging against these poplar trees so the ecological balance and economy will remain constant.