Delhi govt to notify 3,300 hectares of southern Ridge in next 2 months, NGT told

Until now, only 96.16 hectares of the 6,200-hectare southern Ridge has been notified under section 2 of Indian Forest Act

Published on: Aug 23, 2025, 22:57:48 IST

By Jasjeev Gandhiok

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Delhi’s forest and wildlife department will issue the final notification under Section 20 of the Indian Forest Act to protect 3,300 hectares – nearly 53% – of the total southern Ridge area within the next two months, the department has told the National Green Tribunal (NGT). This move, pending since 1996 when the Ridge was first demarcated, will grant complete legal protection, define boundaries and prevent future encroachments. Until now, only 96.16 hectares of the 6,200-hectare southern Ridge has been notified under this section.

NGT was hearing a plea filed by activist Sonya Ghosh seeking notification of Ridge areas in Delhi. NGT in 2021 had asked the forest department to complete notification within three months. But by 2024, no progress had been made in this respect, prompting Ghosh to file another plea.

In the latest submission dated August 21, the forest department said it will notify the southern Ridge in three phases, with Phase 1 to be notified first, within the next two months.

“The final notification under Section 20 of IFA in respect of Chattarpur and Rangpuri villages (Phase 1) covering 96.16 hectares was issued in January 2022 in compliance with the NGT judgment dated January 15, 2021. The draft notification for the remaining 3,287.06 hectares of Phase 1 was submitted to the Delhi government on April 3, 2025,” said the submission.

“The department is now in the process of completing all formalities for issuance of the final Section 20 notification for Phase 1, limited to encumbrance-free land under its possession, which shall be completed within the next two months,” the submission added, seeking a time of two months from the tribunal for the same.

In 1996, only the initial notification under Section 4 of IFA was carried out. However, only the final notification under Section 20 grants full protection to the Ridge.

Under Phase 2, the department plans to notify more than 1,500 hectares of additional land which are free of encroachments but are tied up in court cases. In the third phase, the remaining forest land will be taken up.

On July 23, the forest department had said it would carry out on-ground verification of 3,287 hectares of land across 12 villages in south Delhi by January next year before issuing the final notification. However, on July 31, the department told NGT that it would skip on-ground verification and proceed directly with the final notification.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jasjeev Gandhiok
Jasjeev Gandhiok is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times, where he covers environment, climate change, the clean energy transition and wildlife at the National Bureau. Gandhiok has over a decade of experience in journalism and is based in Delhi. He has reported extensively on Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). This includes the region's air pollution woes, a polluted Yamuna and on urban wildlife still thriving in the region. He joined HT in October 2021. Prior to that, he had five-year stint at The Times of India in Delhi, where he also covered Delhi, with a focus on environment and wildlife. Gandhiok has covered some recent events around the Capital too, ranging from the farmers' protests, the northeast Delhi riots and the CAA-NRC protests, reporting from the ground on all of these. He also travels across the country to report on how environment and climate change impact everyday life, while also writing on endangered species. His reports in 2019 on toxic leachate from Delhi's landfills led to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) taking suo motu cognisance and ultimately asking the state government to start bio-mining to flatten and remove all three landfills in the capital. He also closely tracks the implementation of government policies on climate, renewable energy and environmental protection. His focus remains on impactful, public-interest journalism which explains how environmental decisions affect people's everyday lives.Read More

National Green Tribunal

Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crickit, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Infographics & much more. Explore now!

Stay updated with all top Cities including, Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai and more across India. Stay informed on the latest happenings in World News along with Delhi Election 2025 and Delhi Election Result 2025 Live, New Delhi Election Result Live, Kalkaji Election Result Live at Hindustan Times.