Southern Ridge: Police step up drive to curb waste dumping

Police said primary responsibility for encroachment removal lies with the forest department and the concerned civic agencies

Delhi Police has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that all station house officers (SHOs) and assistant commissioner of police (ACPs) in the south district have been instructed to patrol the southern Ridge to identify hotspots and locations where debris is being dumped. It added that since the beginning of the year, eight FIRs have been registered for illegal debris dumping in the Ridge — four in Fatehpur Beri, three in Maidangarhi, and one in Neb Sarai. The FIRs were lodged under the sections of the Environment Protection Act, an affidavit submitted this week said.

Delhi has four prominent Ridge areas, with the total area under the Ridge as reserved forests totalling around 7,784 hectares. The largest of them is the southern Ridge. (Sanchit Khanna/ Hindustan Times)

NGT is hearing a plea filed by activist Sonya Ghosh demanding the removal of encroachment and demarcation in the area, as well as action against illegal dumping. Further, the plea demands the notification of the entire southern Ridge, a reserved forest under section 20 of the Indian Forest Act, in accordance with the NGT 2021 order in this regard.

Ghosh filed an executive application in 2024, stating that the forest department was yet to comply with the tribunal’s directions. The NGT asked agencies, including Delhi Police, to file a compliance report.

In the report, the deputy Commissioner of police (south district) said, “All ACP and SHOs/South District have further been briefed to continue the special drive and surprise checks in the said ridge area on a regular basis to keep vigil to notice any act of any person of throwing the malba (debris) and ensure strict legal action against throwing of malba in the ridge area.”

The report said the primary responsibility for the removal of encroachment from the subject land lies with the forest department and the concerned civic agencies.

“Local police are only required to provide police assistance to the concerned department/agency in removing the said encroachment, as and when required at the request of the agencies concerned. Whenever the concerned authority approached for providing police assistance in removing the encroachment from the land in question, the same was duly provided.”

On October 13, HT had reported that, of the total 6,200 hectares of the southern Ridge, 4,100 hectares will be notified under section 20 of the Indian Forest Act soon, declaring it as a reserve forest — after Delhi chief Minister Rekha Gupta gave clearance for it.

The final notification had been pending for 31 years.

In 1994, the southern Ridge was notified under section 4 of the Indian Forest Act, which provides initial protection. However, for complete legal safeguarding, the section 4 notification should be followed by notification under section 20. So far, only 96.16 hectares out of the 6,200-hectare southern Ridge have been notified under section 20.

Delhi has four prominent Ridge areas, with the total area under the Ridge as reserved forests totalling around 7,784 hectares. The largest of them is the southern Ridge which is spread over an area of 6,200 hectares. The next largest is the central Ridge, with an area of 864 hectares. The south central Ridge in Mehrauli is spread over an area of 626 hectares and the northern Ridge is spread over an area of 87 hectares. Additionally, the Nanakpura south central ridge covers an area of seven hectares.