Will notify Southern Ridge for full protection without ground verification: Delhi govt tells NGT

The change in stance comes a week after the department had said that it will carry out the verification across 12 south Delhi villages in the next six months

The Delhi government will now issue a final notification granting complete protection to the Southern Ridge without conducting the previously planned ground verification, the state forest and wildlife department has informed in an affidavit to the National Green Tribunal.

Delhi’s Ridge areas have already been notified under Section 4 of the Indian Forest Act. However, the final notification under Section 20 is yet to be completed, which grants complete protection and defines the boundaries. (HT FILE)

The change in stance comes a week after the department had said that it will carry out the verification across 12 south Delhi villages in the next six months.

The timeline for the notification will be shared with NGT, the department added in the affidavit dated July 31.

The issue has been a long-pending one. During a hearing on July 25, the amicus curiae in the case argued that it has been four years since the NGT sought notification of the southern Ridge. On a plea filed by activist Sonya Ghosh, the NGT, in January 2021 directed the Delhi government to ensure that the notification under Section 20 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927is issued within three months. Ghosh in 2024 filed an executive application, seeking compliance with the 2021 order.

Delhi’s Ridge areas have already been notified under Section 4 of the Indian Forest Act. However, the final notification under Section 20 is yet to be completed, which grants complete protection and defines the boundaries.

On July 23, the forest department had said it plans to carry out on-ground verification of 3,287 hectares of land across 12 villages in south Delhi by January next year before the issuance of the final notification.

On Thursday, a bench headed by NGT chairperson took on-record the changed stance of the forest department during a hearing.

“Learned Counsel appearing for Delhi government and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) has now submitted that a decision has been taken that no ground verification will be done for issuing the final notification under Section 20 in respect of Phase-1,” the bench said, stating the Delhi government had sought time to submit a fresh timeline for issuing the final notification. The matter will now be heard on August 7.

Delhi has four prominent Ridge areas, with the total area under the Ridge as reserved forests totalling around 7,784 hectares. The largest – the southern Ridge is spread over an area of 6,200 hectares.