Small part of Ridge notified as Reserved Forest despite 2021 NGT order

An amicus curiae (advocate appointed to assist the court) has told the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that despite its 2021 order to the Delhi government to declare parts of the Ridge area as reserved forest under the Indian Forest Act, 1927, only a small portion has been notified so far.

The amicus curiae told the court that the matter is being “unnecessarily delayed” by the authorities as per an NGT order dated July 4.

“We find that no timeline for issuing the final notification under Section 20 of the Indian Forest Act has been disclosed therein,” the NGT said. It directed the authorities to file affidavits with timelines within two weeks.

In 2021, the Principal Bench of the NGT, comprising Chairperson Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A. Senthil Vel, gave the order to notify the Ridge as a reserved forest. .

“There is urgent need to protect the Ridge by taking necessary steps to finalise the notification under section 20 of the Forest Act ,” the NGT had said.