By Chandan Singh | Page 3 News Worldwide | New Delhi
New Delhi (India): In a major push towards environmental conservation and pollution control, the Delhi Government under Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has granted Reserved Forest status to nearly 673.32 hectares of the Central Ridge area under Section 20 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927.
The protected zone, spread across parts surrounding Sardar Patel Marg and the President’s Estate, falls under the Western Forest Division of the Forest Department.
Calling the move a “historic milestone” for Delhi’s ecological future, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the decision would strengthen biodiversity, improve air quality and provide long-awaited legal protection to the capital’s fragile Ridge ecosystem.
“The Ridge is the green lungs of Delhi. Our government is committed to protecting and expanding the city’s green cover to secure a healthier future for coming generations,” she said.
The Central Ridge notification completes a process that had remained pending for more than three decades since Ridge areas were first notified in 1994. The Ridge, an extension of the ancient Aravalli Range hill system, plays a vital role in groundwater recharge, climate regulation and combating urban pollution.
The Chief Minister also announced a large-scale plantation drive across vacant Ridge areas using native species such as neem, peepal, shisham, jamun, tamarind and mango trees to enhance ecological balance and soil conservation.
With the latest notification, the Delhi Government has now granted Reserved Forest status to a total of 4,754.14 hectares of Ridge land, including over 4,080 hectares of Southern Ridge notified last year. The government said remaining Ridge areas would also be brought under legal forest protection soon.
Officials said the new status would help prevent encroachments, illegal activities and ecological degradation while strengthening scientific forest management across Delhi’s sensitive green zones.
