Delhi HC blasts Ridge body over nod to projects in forest

The Delhi high court on Friday severely reprimanded the forest department - the third time this week approving the construction of an office building, Van Bhawan, and a new road in the Ridge area, ordering the work on both to be halted.

- Shruti Kakkar

The court said it wondered if the forest department's Ridge Management Board (RMB) was instead a "Ridge dissolving board" and expressed "shock" over the board's decisions allowing rampant constructions within what is considered the "green lungs" of the national capital.

RMB, in a meeting held on December 11, approved the proposal to construct an office building for the directorate general and Central Record Office of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police on a 2.847-acre land at RK Puram; the headquarters of the forest department in the existing premises of deputy conservator of forest (west) in the Central Ridge; and an approach road from IGNOU to South Asian University.

This was further recommended to the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) for approval.

The court said that it was "disheartened" by the board's approach of portraying its concern regarding the protection of the Ridge on the one hand while granting permissions for constructions "left, right, and centre" on the other.