Why in the News?

The Supreme Court notified civic officials of allegedly violating its 1996 directive in the M.C. Mehta vs Union of India case (1996) by approving a private housing project in Delhi’s ecologically sensitive Morphological Ridge area.

About Delhi Morphological Ridge:

• The Delhi Ridge is the northern extension of the ancient Aravalli Range, stretching approximately 35 km from Tughlaqabad to Wazirabad, along the Yamuna River.
• It is composed mainly of quartzite rock, is over 1.5 billion years old, and significantly older than the Himalayas.
• It functions as Delhi’s green lungs, aiding in carbon sequestration, temperature regulation, and air pollution reduction.
• It acts as a natural barrier against desert winds from Rajasthan and supports rich biodiversity, making Delhi one of the world’s most bird-rich capitals.
• It is divided into four zones: Northern Ridge, Central Ridge, South-Central Ridge, and Southern Ridge.
• Key conservation areas include the Northern Ridge Biodiversity Park and the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary.

Land Use Regulation in the Ridge:

• Although the area shares ecological features with the Delhi Ridge, it is NOT officially notified as forest land, but it enjoys judicial protection.
• A 1966 directive prohibits any NON-forest use or encroachment without court approval.
• Any change in land use must be cleared by the Ridge Management Board (RMB) and the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC).
• The area is mapped using data from the Delhi Forest Department and the 2006 Seismic Zonation Map.
• Formal notification as a Reserved Forest under the Indian Forest Act, 1927, is pending due to the absence of ground-truthing.
• In revenue records, it is often marked as “gair mumkin pahad”, meaning uncultivable rocky hill.
• The terrain is ecologically fragile, with shallow soil and rocky outcrops, making it unsuitable for construction.

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