SC asks govt to give Delhi ridge board statutory status to preserve ridge
This story was originally published at 19:03 IST on 11 November 2025
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NEW DELHI – The Supreme Court Tuesday directed the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to give a 'statutory status' to Delhi Ridge Management Board for it to act as a single-window authority to preserve the Delhi Ridge and Morphological Ridge in its pristine glory by removing all encroachments and taking all necessary steps. If the Delhi Ridge Management Board is given a statutory status, it will be in a position to function effectively and also be accountable and answerable.
A statutory backing will firstly ensure that the fundamental principles of administration would directly apply to the Delhi Ridge Management Board, said a bench led by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai. A statutory authority working would be subject to the jurisdiction of the National Green Tribunal and its order can be appealed in the high courts and the Supreme Court. The accountability and transparency required of a statutory body, such as publication of reports on websites, being subject to the Right to Information Act, 2005 would be ensured by the Board, the court added.
The Board will consist of the chief secretary of Delhi government as the chairman, vice-chairman of Delhi Development Authority and representative of the Director General of Forests & Special Secretary, Ministry of Environment, not below the rank of Inspector General of Forests. It will also include a representative of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, who is not below the rank of joint secretary, commissioner of Municipal Corporation of Delhi, chairman of New Delhi Municipal Council and others. Thereafter, the Board will constitute a standing committee to look after day-to-day things.
The Board must remove all encroachments in the Delhi Ridge as well as the morphological ridge and ensure its protection, scientific management, ecological restoration. The Board should submit periodic reports every six months regarding the status of the Delhi Ridge and the morphological ridge and the compliance of the directions of the court, said the bench, also comprising K. Vinod Chandran.
The top court was hearing an issue concerning the various bodies monitoring, regulating and permitting construction activities in the Delhi Ridge, which is an area of vital ecological and geographical significance in Delhi. The Delhi Ridge, which is at the tail end of the Aravali Ranges, contains a variety of flora and fauna and is widely known as the "Green Lungs" of the city. There are some areas in Delhi, which even though are identified to be ridge-like, do not form part of the ridge areas and are known as the "Morphological Ridge".
Reported by Surya Tripathi
Edited by Deepshikha Bhardwaj
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