LG Approves Ridge Board Reconstitution

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena approved the reconstitution of the Ridge Management Board on June 2, 2026, to protect the city's northern ridge forests . The board, established under a 1995 Supreme Court order, oversees 7,777 hectares of notified forest land classified as Delhi Ridge . This area includes three ridges—northern, central, and southern—spanning from the Yamuna River to the Haryana border, serving as critical green lungs for Delhi's 33 million residents . The board coordinates between the Delhi government, central forest ministry, and local bodies to prevent encroachments and illegal constructions. ### Why was the board reconstituted now? The previous Ridge Management Board, constituted in 2020, completed its five-year term on May 31, 2026, prompting the reconstitution . V.K. Saxena, as LG, notified the new 12-member panel on June 2, including Delhi's chief wildlife warden and representatives from the Union environment ministry . Urbanization has reduced Delhi's green cover to 21.6% of its area as of 2025, down from 25% a decade ago, per the India State of Forest Report 2023 . Encroachments on ridge land surged 15% between 2020 and 2025, with over 200 hectares lost to illegal buildings, according to a 2025 Delhi forest department survey cited in the notification. ### Who serves on the new board? V.K. Saxena chairs the reconstituted board, with Delhi's chief secretary as vice-chairperson . Members include the principal secretary of Delhi's environment department, director of forests, and nominees from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). NGO representatives from the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Kalpavriksh join as non-official members, alongside the deputy conservator of forests (central ridge) . The board secretariat will operate from the Delhi forest department at Van Bhawan, with quarterly meetings mandated. ### What specific threats does the Ridge face? Over 1,200 hectares of ridge land remain encroached as of May 2026, primarily by farmhouses, slums, and unauthorized religious structures, per a DDA mapping report submitted to the LG office . Mining activities in the 1990s degraded 300 hectares, though reclamation efforts restored 150 hectares by 2023. Air pollution mitigation relies on the Ridge, which absorbs 20% of Delhi's PM2.5 particulates annually, according to a 2024 CSE study . Urban heat islands in adjacent areas like Rohini and Pitampura exceed 45°C in summers, 3-5°C higher than ridge-adjacent zones, IMD data shows. ### What powers does the board have? The Ridge Management Board can recommend demolition of encroachments under Supreme Court oversight from M.C. Mehta vs. Union of India (1996), which banned non-forest use . It approves development plans, monitors tree felling, and coordinates with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for violations. In 2022-2025, the prior board ordered removal of 450 structures across 50 hectares and planted 1.2 million saplings, forest department records state . Fines for violations totaled ₹15 crore, deposited to the Delhi government exchequer. ### How has the Ridge evolved historically? Notified as reserved forest in 1915 under British rule, the Delhi Ridge spans 30 km north-south, with semi-arid scrub and sal forests . The 1995 Supreme Court intervention followed petitions on deforestation for the 1982 Asian Games village. Post-2010, NGT rulings halted 14 construction projects on 800 hectares, preserving biodiversity hotspots home to 200 bird species and leopards . ### What's the board's next meeting agenda? The reconstituted board's first meeting is scheduled for June 15, 2026, at Van Bhawan to review a DDA encroachment inventory and approve a 2026-27 plantation drive targeting 500 hectares . Delhi forest department will present a drone survey report covering 2,000 hectares of vulnerable zones by July 31. ```