Proposals involving Delhi Ridge, forest land use for non-forestry purposes under scrutiny

Thirty-four proposals involving the use of Delhi Ridge and forest land for non-forestry purposes are under scrutiny by the Standing Committee of the Delhi Ridge Management Board, according to official documents.

A proposal to use nearly 12.6 hectares of land at the President's Bodyguard (PBG) parade ground near Rashtrapati Bhavan, including about 7.58 hectares of additional land, for operational and training requirements is among the proposals, according to the minutes of the committee's second meeting held on July 29.

The proposals have not been approved yet and are currently being examined by the committee, the minutes said.

The list also includes construction of a permanent campus for the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development at Vasant Kunj and use of 2.262 hectares at JNU for a lecture hall complex, incubation centre and special centre for e-learning, according to a Delhi Forest Department letter enclosed with the minutes.

The committee was informed that 34 proposals had been received for consideration. It decided to conduct site inspections of several proposals, including those relating to the PBG parade ground, the UNESCO campus and the JNU project.

During the inspections, officials will check whether the proposed sites fall within the approved Morphological Ridge boundary and whether the projects involve construction, expansion or change of land use.

They will also examine the likely impact of excavation, rock cutting, blasting and tree felling on slope stability, natural landforms, drainage and vegetation and whether a feasible alternative site outside the Ridge is available.

Other proposals include construction of an ITBP office building on 2.487 acres in R K Puram and three infrastructure projects at Army Hospital in Delhi Cantonment.

The proposals also include development and operation of an Aurika hotel on DDA land in Nehru Place, conservation work at a historical monument in Sanjay Van and implementation of the Delhi-Karnal Namo Bharat Corridor.

According to the Forest Department letter, development projects seeking permission to use forest or morphological Ridge land for non-forestry purposes are referred to the Standing Committee for detailed evaluation. Its decisions are then placed before the Delhi Ridge Management Board for concurrence.

The committee has also directed the DDA to submit within four weeks status reports on the demarcation of the South Central, Northern and Nankpura Ridge areas to help identify encroachments.

The next meeting of the committee is tentatively scheduled for August 21.