When will south Ridge be notified, NGT asks government

Based on a plea filed by activist Sonya Ghosh, NGT on January 15, 2021 directed the Delhi government to ensure that the notification is completed within three months.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Delhi government to provide a clear timeline for the final notification of the southern Ridge under Section 20 of the Indian Forest Act within two weeks, stating that despite a 2021 direction to do so, only a small portion has so far been notified.

NGT listed the matter for further hearing on July 25. (Hindustan Times)

Based on a plea filed by activist Sonya Ghosh, NGT on January 15, 2021 directed the Delhi government to ensure that the notification is completed within three months. Ghosh had filed an execution application last year, stating that forest department was yet to comply with the tribunal’s directions.

While the southern Ridge has been notified under Section 4 – which grants initial protection — a notification under Section 20 is required for full legal protection.

“On the perusal of the affidavit by the DCF, we find that no timeline for issuing the final notification under Section 20 of the Indian Forest Act has been disclosed,” said the bench headed by Justice Prakash Shrivastava.

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 is covers an area of seven hectares.

Granting a time of two weeks to the department to file an affidavit with clear timelines, NGT listed the matter for further hearing on July 25.

NGT in the order had also referred to the latest minutes of an Oversight Committee formed for demarcation of the Ridge. In the minutes, it was discussed that the notification will be done in three phases, with the first phase focusing on areas that were encroachment-free and also had no pending litigation cases.

It also took on record a submission by the forest department from June 18. “Referring to the latest affidavit of the Deputy Conservator of Forests (Protection & Monitoring) dated June 18, he has submitted that again a decision has been taken in the meeting to undertake the ground verification exercise of Phase-I to ascertain if the area falling in Phase-I is encumbrance-free,” the bench noted.