NEW DELHI: In a move aimed at strengthening legal protection for the city’s green and ecological zones, the Delhi government has approved the Phase I notification to declare 112.328 hectares (277.56 acres) of land in the Northern Ridge as reserved forest under Section 20 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the Northern Ridge, part of the Aravalli Range, was an ‘invaluable’ component of Delhi’s natural heritage. She stressed that its protection was crucial for the city’s environmental health and future generations.
“Granting the area legal protection as a reserved forest would strengthen its long-term conservation and help Delhi build resilience against environmental challenges,” she expressed, adding,
“The Northern Ridge serves as Delhi’s ‘green lungs’ and an ecological hub. Granting it legal protection as a reserved forest will further strengthen the foundation for its long-term conservation.”
The CM said the current government has made significant progress in providing legal protection to forest areas in Delhi. “Under previous governments, only 96.16 hectares (237.611 acres) of land had been notified as reserved forest, while 5,267.009 hectares (13,014.77 acres) have been notified during the tenure of the present government so far.
With the notification of 112.328 hectares of the Northern Ridge, the total area will now rise to 5,363.169 hectares, or approximately 13,252.390 acres,” she added.
As part of this conservation drive, the Delhi government had also approved last month the notification of around 1,000 acres (400 hectares) of additional land in the Southern Ridge as reserved forest.
Gupta emphasised that the effort to make Delhi cleaner, greener and healthier could not be limited to reducing the effects of pollution; strengthening the city’s natural ecology is equally important.
Boost for conservation
The next phase will include steps related to demarcation of the area, habitat management and community participation. This will strengthen the conservation of the Northern Ridge and reinforce its role as Delhi’s green lungs and an ecological hub.