Ridge board should proceed with assigned work, says NGT

New Delhi: National Green Tribunal has directed that the Delhi Ridge Management Board be constituted and begin carrying out its assigned responsibilities. Last year, the Supreme Court granted statutory powers to the board, but the body has yet to appoint two mandatory members from the civil society.

A bench comprising chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member Afroz Ahmad, in an order dated May 18, said: “We are of the view that Delhi Ridge Management Board should be constituted and will proceed with the assigned work as expeditiously as possible.”

The Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEF&CC) through a gazette notification issued on Dec 1, 2025 had reconstituted the board, replacing the body formed in 1995. In line with the Supreme Court’s Nov directions, it was also granted statutory powers to function as the authority responsible for issuing permissions related to the use of the Delhi Ridge, as well as monitoring and taking action against encroachments and other violations threatening the ecologically sensitive area. The old body lacked statutory powers.

However, as the Delhi forest department has not yet appointed two members from the civil society, not a single meeting has taken place. The last meeting of the board happened in July 2025.

During the hearing, counsel for the ridge management board told the tribunal that the constitution of the board was “not yet complete”, though all approvals had been received. He submitted that “the first meeting would be held after the board is fully constituted but said he had no instructions on a timeline.”

NGT has clubbed some cases seeking protecting of Delhi ridges. The initial notification under Section 4 of the Indian Forest Act was done in 1994 for all ridges. For full legal protection, the Section 4 notification should be followed by notification under Section 20 of the Indian Forest Act, which is still pending even after 31 years. TOI had earlier reported that of the total 6,200 hectares of the Southern Ridge, 4,080 hectares were notified under Section 20 in Nov last year. The remaining area will be notified in phases.

“The respondents concerned and the ridge management board will file the progress report in respect of phase-II of the Southern Ridge,” said the tribunal.