Delhi has notified around 1,000 acres of the Southern Ridge as Reserved Forest, giving the land final statutory protection and taking the capital’s notified Ridge area to nearly 13,000 acres. The decision was announced by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday and covers a 400.5-hectare parcel of Southern Ridge Phase-II(A) spread across 15 villages.
The notification has been issued under Section 20 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927. The parcel had been brought under the Act through a Section 4 notification in 1994, but its final legal status had remained pending for decades. The latest decision moves the land into the category of Ridge areas with final legal protection.
According to a Forest Department submission before the National Green Tribunal, 4,850.3 hectares of Delhi’s Ridge had been notified under Section 20 until August, including 4,176 hectares of the Southern Ridge. The latest notification adds about 400 hectares to the area with final statutory protection.
The Delhi government said restoration work would follow the notification. Planned measures include restoring degraded portions, promoting native species and controlling invasive vegetation in line with the Ridge Working Plan. The government has described the Ridge as an extension of the Aravalli mountain range and one of Delhi’s most important natural green areas.
Gupta said the Southern Ridge supports biodiversity, helps control dust and regulate local temperatures, and strengthens Delhi’s natural capacity to deal with air pollution and climate change. She also described the Ridge as an important ecological link at the northern end of the Aravallis, as well as the capital’s “green lung” and a carbon sink.
However, parts of the Southern Ridge continue to face land-use and enforcement challenges. These include encroachments, village habitation, unauthorised colonies, JJ clusters and religious structures. The Forest and Revenue departments are conducting joint verification of such parcels, according to the government.
The Delhi Ridge Management Board, constituted in June 2026, is expected to play a role in overseeing the protection, restoration and management of Ridge forests. The government said notification of other eligible Ridge land would continue in phases.
Officials said the broader ecological restoration programme covers more than 6,300 hectares. The next phase will involve the continuing notification process, joint verification of disputed or occupied parcels and implementation of restoration measures under the Ridge Working Plan.
