As Delhi expands vilayati kikar removal in Ridge, activists raise concerns

New Delhi: To restore the ecological balance of central and southern Ridge, the forest department has initiated a project to remove the invasive vilayati kikar (Neltuma Juliflora), deploying labourers to dig pits to plant native species as replacement during the monsoon season.But while the removal of the invasive tree is considered essential, the process has been met with challenges and criticism from environmental activists, who allege that the use of heavy machinery like JCBs in areas with rocky terrain and deeply entrenched kikar roots is damaging the ground vegetation and biocrust that helps in maintaining soil health.For nearly a century, the Ridge has been dominated by vilayati kikar, an invasive species native to South and Central America. The fast-growing tree forms dense thickets, blocks sunlight and suppresses the growth of native vegetation.The project of removal of kikar from a small patch in central Ridge first started in 2022. Using the method of canopy lifting, the branches of vilayati kikar were pruned in the canopy zone so that sunlight penetrates to the ground. Native species were planted around the kikar so that these plants could grow. The exercise was extended to about 70 hectares. Species like bistendu, peepal, banyan and arjun that have been planted are being geo-tagged.“The geo-tagged saplings with data on their numbering, species name and geo-coordinates will be uploaded on the portal of the forest department so that people can go and check themselves,” said a forest official.Following the preparation of Delhi’s first 10-year working plan by Dehradun-based Forest Research Institute, the forest department initiated the removal of vilayati kikar from 120 hectares of central Ridge and 600 hectares of southern Ridge, with the exercise planned over the next five years. A total of 14 lakh trees and 14.5 lakh shrubs will be planted at central and southern Ridge this year.The forest’s working plan, which will be in force till 2036-37, focuses on systematically removing three major invasive tree species — vilayati kikar, eucalyptus and leucaena leucocephala (river tamarind or subabul), which together account for nearly 40% of the capital’s forest growing stock. The plan states that the process of removal will be phased, with only 20% of a given forest section treated each year, allowing gradual clearing over five years while minimising ecological disruption.“In some cases, after a native species becomes strong, we completely remove vilayati kikar,” said a forest official. “We have engaged several labourers to dug up hole for plantation of fresh saplings during the monsoon at central and southern Ridge. As the Ridge has rocky patches, we sometimes take help of JCB machines to dip up hole or to remove the stump of kikar which has penetrated deep into the soil.”The ground vegetation is proper in patches where vilayati kikar were removed a couple of years ago, the official added.Environmental activists have, however, raised concerns, claiming several native herbs and shrubs, including gangeti and kair, are being destroyed during the process.Chetan Agarwal, an independent forest analyst, said the population of vilayati kikar and subabul should be controlled in a phased manner, not by large-scale felling and uprooting with bulldozers that cause huge collateral damage to the undergrowth.“During a recent visit to central Ridge, we saw JCB bulldozers being used to clear the ground of all vegetation and remove kikar stumps. The forks of the machines dig holes to uproot them, but in the process, the entire ground cover is being cleared. With decades of protection, the Ridge is rich in herb and shrub diversity with thousands of plants per hectare, which are now being virtually 100% removed in the process of clearing the vilayati kikar,” he said.Pradip Krishen, author of the acclaimed book Trees of Delhi, said biocrusts are important for the formation and stabilisation of soil.“Biocrusts begin to form when cyanobacteria — microscopic organisms once known as blue-green algae — colonise the soil surface. These pioneering microbes produce sticky substances that bind loose soil particles together, creating a stable, sponge-like layer capable of retaining moisture after rainfall. Over time, this moisture-rich and protected environment supports the growth of other organisms, such as mosses, lichens, green algae and fungi, gradually developing into a complex biological crust.” He added that scientists have been studying them closely for the past 10 to 12 years.