Final notification for Delhi ridges not possible due to pending cases, land demarcation, NGT told

New Delhi Delhi has four prominent ridges, with a total area of around 7,784 hectares under reserved forests. The final notification of Delhi’s central, northern and south-central ridge under the Indian Forest Act, 1927, cannot be done as the demarcation of these forests remains pending, Delhi forest and wildlife department told the National Green Tribunal, citing ongoing litigations on forest land and multiplicity of agencies that need to carry out the groundwork of demarcation exercise. Delhi’s ridges were notified under Section 4 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, in 1994, declaring the total area as a protected forest. The forest department said multiple agencies, including the Delhi Development Authority, Land And Development Office and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, need to carry out the groundwork and that it has written to the revenue department for a joint inspection and subsequent demarcation to issue the final notification. “Learned Amicus Curiae appearing for the applicant submits that though the notification under Section 4 of The Indian Forest Act, 1927 was issued in 1994 but.the final notification under Section 20 of the Act has not been finalized till now,” said the NGT, observing the findings of the Amicus Curiae.