Ridge under threat from own guardians

When it was formed in 1995, the Ridge Management Board (RMB) was given the sole responsibility of preserving ‘in its entirety’ Delhi’s Ridge — the green lungs of the capital.

When it was formed in 1995, the Ridge Management Board (RMB) was given the sole responsibility of preserving ‘in its entirety’ Delhi’s Ridge — the green lungs of the capital.

HT Image

But in the past two decades the scrub forest has become host to several temples, roads and illegal structures.

The problem lies in a major conflict of interest in the board whose head also happens to be Delhi’s chief secretary.

The board has become a land diversion agency, says environmentalist Ravi Agarwal, “The state is the biggest requisitioner of forest land for infrastructure projects. Delhi’s chief secretary heads RMB and is often a judge in his own cause.”

The board was supposed to ensure that no illegal encroachment takes place and no infrastructure development is allowed in the scrub forest.
But one of the three agendas of the next RMB meeting is a proposal to build a hospital and a road at Chattarpur in southern ridge.
Diwan Singh of NGO ‘Ridge Bachao Andolan’ said, “RMB considers government proposals which put the protected forest under increasing concrete assault.

Environment lawyer Raj Panjwani, who assists courts in matters related to ridge conservation, said, “RMB under its constitution has no right to divert forest land. All such proposals should go to the forest advisory committee of the union ministry of environment and forests.”
Officially, the ridge is spread across 7,784 hectares but despite being “protected” experts say the forests have shrunk by a third in the past two decades.

Chief secretary DM Spolia did not respond to HT’s e-mail, calls and text messages. Chief minister Sheila Dikshit, who is also Delhi’s environment minister, could not be reached for comments.