In key step before it can be notified as reserve forest, ground verification sought of 3,200 hectares of land in Southern Ridge
The NGT in January 2021 directed the Chief Secretary of the GNCTD “to ensure that requisite notification…is issued within three months in respect of the area about which there is no controversy".
Once completed, the notification will grant legal ‘Reserve Forest’ status to the Southern Ridge Phase I, shielding it from development and encroachment activities.
The Delhi Forest department has written to the district authorities seeking a ground verification of over 3,200 hectares of land in the Southern Ridge — a key step before notifying it as a reserve forest under the Indian Forest Act, 1927.
In a compliance affidavit uploaded to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) website on Monday, the Forest department stated that it had submitted a revised draft notification for 3,287.076 hectares — spread across 12 villages including Asola, Bhatti, Dera Mandi, Jaunapur, and Tughlakabad — for government approval on April 3.
A high-level meeting was chaired by Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena and attended by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, and senior officials on May 23. In the meeting, it was decided that the Forest department, along with the Revenue department, would carry out a ground verification “to reconfirm” that the land in Phase I is free of encroachments and under the clear possession of the Forest department.
On June 17, the Forest department wrote to the District Magistrates of South-East and New Delhi, requesting them to undertake the verification exercise “on an immediate basis,” according to the affidavit filed by Deputy Conservator of Forests (Protection & Monitoring) Ankit Kumar.
The affidavit was filed in a matter ongoing since 2013, when petitioner Sonya Ghosh sought legal protection for the Ridge.
The NGT in January 2021 directed the Chief Secretary of the GNCTD “to ensure that requisite notification…is issued within three months in respect of the area about which there is no controversy”.
The tribunal had noted that there is an “urgent need to take necessary steps to protect the Ridge.” This, it said, would be enabled “by taking necessary steps to finalise the notification under Section 20 of the Forest Act for reserved forest and protection by appropriate measures”. “The land about which there is clarity can be included in such notification, and the remaining process can be undergone separately but expeditiously,” it said. It underlined that no non-forest activity is permissible in the Ridge area.
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However, due to the pendency even after four years, the NGT in April this year noted that “more than four years have passed” since its earlier directions to notify the Ridge’s undisputed, unencroached portions under Section 20. The tribunal asked for the current status and a timeline for issuing the final notification.
Once completed, the notification will grant legal ‘Reserve Forest’ status to the Southern Ridge Phase I, shielding it from development and encroachment activities.
Sophiya Mathew is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in New Delhi. She joined the Delhi bureau in 2024, and has specialization in Integrated Multimedia Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai.
Professional Background
Core Beats: Her reporting is primarily focused on the Environment and Education.
Specialization: She has gained recognition for her ground-level reporting on the Yamuna floodplains and the socio-economic challenges faced by those living on its banks. She also focuses on the disparities in Delhi's education system, ranging from elite private schools to government institutions and refugee education.
Recent Notable Articles (December 2025)
Her recent work has been heavily centered on Delhi's severe winter pollution crisis and the government's regulatory responses:
1. The Air Pollution Crisis
"A tale of two cities: Delhi govt schools choke in bad air, private classrooms set up air filters" (Dec 20, 2025): A high-impact feature contrasting the "Clean Air Bubbles" in elite schools with the reality of government school students who are exposed to an equivalent of 17 cigarettes a day due to outdoor exposure.
"Delhi sees season's worst air day, second worst December AQI in nearly a decade" (Dec 15, 2025): An analytical report on the meteorological patterns trapping pollutants in the NCR.
"Delhi bans non-BS VI vehicles from outside: Why curbing vehicular pollution is key" (Dec 17, 2025): Explaining the science behind targeting specific vehicle vintages to lower particulate matter.
2. Enforcement & Regulations
"No fuel at pumps in Delhi without valid PUC certificate from December 18" (Dec 17, 2025): Breaking the news on the environment ministry's strict "No PUC, No Fuel" policy.
3. Education Policy
"Law to regulate school fee in Delhi risks becoming procedural, say parents" (Dec 13, 2025): Investigating the loopholes in the new Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025.
"Monsoon Session: Private school fee regulation Bill cleared after four-hour debate" (Aug 9, 2025): Covering the legislative passage of the controversial fee hike regulation.
Signature Style
Sophiya is known for her observational depth. Her reporting often includes vivid details from school corridors, hospital waitlists, or the banks of the Yamuna to illustrate how policy failures affect the city's most vulnerable residents. She is a frequent expert guest on the 3 Things podcast, where she explains the complexities of Delhi’s environmental laws.
X (Twitter): @SophiyaMathew1 ... Read More
