Delhi forest dept to map morphological Ridge area to identify encroachment

The forest department will map Delhi’s entire morphological Ridge area over the next three months to create a digital grid, complete with latitudes and longitudes, to help identify possible encroachments on the forest land

The forest department will map Delhi’s entire morphological Ridge area over the next three months to create a digital grid, complete with latitudes and longitudes, to help identify possible encroachments on the forest land.

File image (Photo: Manish Rajput/HT)

Morphological Ridge is an area that has Ridge-like features (such as rocky terrains and hills), but is not notified or protected forest land.

The Ridge Management Board (RMB) issued instructions for the mapping exercise during its last meeting on June 28 and the exercise is likely to begin next month, officials in the know of the matter have said, adding that the decision was taken after the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) asked in the meeting about the legal sanctity and protection accorded to the morphological Ridge.

The RMB has asked the forest department to carry out the mapping with the help of Geological Survey of India (GSI) and Geospatial Delhi Limited (GSDL) so as to dispel any confusion regarding whether a construction project lies within the morphological Ridge area or not.

No construction or commercial activity is allowed within the morphological Ridge, similar to Delhi’s central, northern, southern and south-central Ridge areas, where these activities are completely banned.

Forest officials said while demarcation exercises have been carried out in the past to ascertain the morphological Ridge area, the new exercise will involve mapping in three different layers, with each layer superimposed on a single map.

The first layer will demarcate green forested area, which is part of the Ridge, while the second layer will chart the boundaries of the morphological Ridge and the third will lay out all structures and developments that have come up on the morphological Ridge area.

“This will create a comprehensive map of the morphological Ridge to provide better clarity to any landowning agency looking to carry out construction or development work within the morphological Ridge. Similar to the notified Ridge areas, no construction work can take place in the morphological area either -- so any construction project that needs to be executed is referred to the RMB for approval,” said the forest official, asking not to be named.

In a letter dated May 28, 2013, the GSI had depicted all denuded hills and rocky surfaces that exist in Delhi as a part of the morphological Ridge. However, the new exercise will involve geo-spatial mapping to showcase these rocky surfaces and their latitudes and longitudes across the city.

“After due deliberations, it was decided that the forest department shall prepare a GIS layer of the denuded hills and rocky surfaces in Delhi, as made available by GSI and the notified Ridge areas of Delhi. These layers shall then be superimposed and the overlapping areas contiguous to the notified Ridge in the morphological area as indicated by GSI may be considered as the Ridge area,” said the RMB in the minutes of the meeting.

“Such findings may be brought before the Ridge Management Board for further directions. This exercise may be completed within a month’s time by the (forest) department with support of GSDL and GSI,” the minutes added.

A senior forest official said the exercise may take longer than a month, roughly, at least three months, before the final map is shared with all Delhi landowning and greening agencies.

Vimlendu Jha, an environmental expert, who runs the NGO Swechha, said the definition of morphological Ridge is clear and after demarcation, the forest department needs to ensure that no fresh construction takes place there. “We know about the morphological Ridge area for decades now and the definition is clear, yet the RMB has given clearances to certain construction projects in the past while disallowing others. Like the Ridge, no construction should be allowed in the morphological Ridge either and that is the only way to protect the Aravallis,” he said.