The Delhi government has approved the Phase-I notification to declare 277.56 acres of the Northern Ridge a reserved forest under Section 20 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, strengthening legal protection for one of the capital’s key green and ecological zones.
The notification covers 112.328 hectares of land in the Northern Ridge, part of the Aravalli mountain range and an important green and ecological zone for Delhi, the chief minister’s office said on Friday.
The move reflected the government’s commitment to protecting the capital’s green areas and making it more resilient to environmental challenges, she added. The government has also encouraged citizens to plant trees through the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign and the ‘Vriksh Rath’ initiative. The government said 5,267.009 hectares (13,014.77 acres) of land had been notified as reserved forest during its tenure so far, compared with 96.16 hectares (237.611 acres) under previous governments. With the Northern Ridge notification, the total area notified as reserved forest will rise to 5,363.169 hectares (13,252.390 acres), according to the statement. Last month, the Delhi government also approved the notification of around 1,000 acres (400 hectares) of additional land in the Southern Ridge as reserved forest. The chief minister said more than 73 lakh saplings had been planted in Delhi this year and the plantation drive was still underway.
Chief minister Rekha Gupta said protecting the Northern Ridge was crucial for Delhi’s environmental health and future generations. Gupta said environmental conservation and efforts to tackle pollution went hand in hand, adding that protecting natural areas, expanding green cover and maintaining ecological balance were important for addressing air pollution and climate-related challenges.
The next phase of Northern Ridge protection will include measures related to demarcation, habitat management and community participation, according to the chief minister’s office.
