1,000 Acres Of Delhi's Southern Ridge Set To Get Reserved Forest Status

Nearly 1,000 acres of Delhi's Southern Ridge are set to get Reserved Forest status after the Delhi government approved the move on Saturday. The decision will take the total ridge area with such protection to around 13,000 acres once the notification process is completed.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the government will also focus on restoring parts of the ridge that have degraded over the years. "Providing legal protection to the land is not the government's only objective; reviving the ridge's ecosystem is equally important," she said.

The Southern Ridge, spread over around 6,200 hectares, is the largest part of Delhi's ridge system.

Why The Ridge Matters

The process began in 1994, when large parts of the Delhi Ridge were marked for forest protection. But many areas waited for decades to get final Reserved Forest status. The long-pending exercise picked up pace this year. Parts of the Southern Ridge got final Reserved Forest protection in March, followed by the Central Ridge in May.

The Delhi Ridge is an extension of the Aravallis and one of the capital's biggest natural green areas. It has also repeatedly been at the centre of court cases involving tree-felling, construction and encroachments. The government says its restoration plan will focus on native plants, reviving degraded patches, and controlling invasive species.

A Delhi Ridge Management Board was also constituted this year to oversee the protection and restoration. But the work is far from complete. Some parts of the Southern Ridge are still caught up in encroachment cases, settlements, unauthorised colonies and other land-use issues. Officials are verifying these parcels before they can be taken through the same process.

The government says more eligible land will be brought under Reserved Forest protection in phases.