Residents and Environmentalists Opposes Construction in Protected Ridge Area in South Delhi

Environmentalists and local residents in South Delhi have come together to oppose the construction of a private housing project in the Morphological Ridge area. The project stands apart for being the first such scheme in an ecologically sensitive zone and still being granted environmental clearances by the central government. The plot of land on which the construction is going to start soon is also disputed amongst government bodies. While the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) have cited the land as ‘residential’, the Forest Department maintains it is part of the morphological ridge.

‘Delhi Ridge’

This morphological ridge is an extension of the geological formation called the ‘Delhi Ridge’, which is the northern extension of the Aravalli ranges. The ridge holds ecological significance, even though the final notification of the ridge is pending under section 20 of the Indian Forest Act of 1927. The ridge is protected as a reserved forest through a May 1994 notification.

Built by RR Texknit, the project is planned in an area of 25,650 sqm. Records show that the company obtained NOC from the fire services, the Delhi Urban Art Commission, the Airport Authority of India, the Delhi Jal Board and the MCD within just three months of acquiring the land in April 2024.