The first high-level meeting of the Delhi Ridge Management Board, constituted on the instructions of the Supreme Court, was held under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary. The meeting approved a 4-year mega action plan for the conservation, rejuvenation and green cover enhancement of the Ridge area of Delhi, under which a target has been set to plant over one crore trees and shrubs. Special emphasis was laid on compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court in the meeting. In this sequence, the formation of a Standing Committee to monitor the activities taking place in the Ridge area was also approved. This committee will be chaired by Chandra Prakash Goyal, representative of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC).
Plantation will be done immediately on the land vacated from illegal occupation.
The board meeting decided to launch a time-bound campaign to remove encroachments from the entire Ridge area, including the South Ridge. Under the plan, a Special Task Force (STF) headed by the DDA Vice Chairman and a task force comprising District Magistrates (DMs) of the respective districts will jointly take action. Officials have been instructed to identify illegal encroachments in the Ridge area and remove them on a priority basis. The meeting also emphasized that after removing encroachments, the vacated land should not be left vacant for long. To this end, immediate plantation will be undertaken on the vacated land to prevent the possibility of re-encroachment and ensure green development of the area.
Strategy will be made on conservation and master plan
Officials stated that in 2021, an alleged fraud of ₹223 crore from the Ridge Fund and the transfer of funds to a fake Bank of Baroda account came to light, and the investigation and legal process have been ongoing for a long time. Significant progress has now been made in this case. Following the court order, the bank has cleared the way for depositing ₹152.75 crore with the Registrar General of the Delhi High Court. This amount is expected to be used for conservation and development work in the Ridge area. The meeting was informed that, in accordance with the court’s directives, a detailed strategy for the use of this amount is being developed in coordination with senior advocate Sanjay Jain. According to the proposed plan, the funds will be used solely for conservation, upgrading, ecological improvement, and greening of the Delhi Ridge.
Strict action on projects that cut more than 100 trees
The meeting decided that if any project in the Ridge area requires cutting down more than 100 trees, all SCDRMB members will personally inspect the site. Furthermore, for any project proposed over an area larger than one hectare, committee members will visit the site and directly assess the project’s environmental impact. The committee believes that assessing the situation on the spot will be more effective and transparent than making decisions based solely on documents. The meeting also decided to conduct a detailed examination of a total of 46 pending proposals related to the Ridge area. During the review, special attention will be paid to the environmental impact, the need for tree cutting, alternative measures, and conservation standards.
Several projects were reviewed in the first high-level meeting. During the meeting, the committee identified several deficiencies and procedural flaws in various government and private projects. The meeting discussed concerns raised regarding the proposed construction of an administrative building (admin block) in the Maidangarhi area. The committee also raised objections to the proposal to develop water features and a café near Sanjay Van and highlighted the need for a detailed environmental impact review. The Delhi Jal Board’s (DJB) proposed pipeline project to divert sewage to the fish pond at Smriti Van in Vasant Kunj was also examined. The committee sought clarification on certain aspects of the project and urged a detailed environmental impact assessment.
Additionally, the board found several deficiencies during its review of some ongoing private residential construction projects in Vasant Vihar and Greater Kailash-2 (GK-2). According to officials, these projects have raised questions about compliance with regulations and environmental standards. The committee has asked the relevant agencies and project operators to submit the necessary documents, technical details, and clarifications.