SC Doubts Efficacy Of Delhi Ridge Board

New Delhi: Four months after directing the constitution of a 13-member statute-backed Delhi Ridge Management Board (DRMB) to preserve the ‘lungs of the national capital', Supreme Court on Monday expressed grave doubts about its efficacy, saying except three, there is clear conflict of interest regarding the rest of the members as they are linked to the govt.On Nov 11, a bench of CJI B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran had directed Centre to issue a notification under Section 3(3) of Environment Protection Act for establishment of the committee headed by Delhi Chief Secretary. "DRMB must work with the sole purpose of preservation and restoration of the Delhi Ridge area," it had said.Its other members were DDA vice-chairman, a representative each of Directorate General of Forests (MoEF & CC) and Union ministry of urban affairs, MCD commissioner, NDMC chairman, director general of CPWD, representative of Delhi Police commissioner, Delhi govt's principal secretary (forest), two representatives of NGOs and civil society to be nominated by Delhi govt, Delhi principal conservator of forest and a representative of Central Empowered Committee (CEC).On Monday, a bench of CJI Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi said, "There is a direct conflict of interest. DDA vice-chairperson is the second most important member of the DRMB. If govt wants Ridge area land for urbanisation, which of the members except two or three would oppose it? So, who will protect the Ridge?"Even though the Centre said it had issued a notification on Dec 1 last year giving statutory backing to DRMB, the bench asked the Union govt to file an affidavit within four weeks giving details of the authorities dealing with Ridge in Delhi along with the composition of committees, if any, in this regard, as well as the duties assigned to them relating to Ridge, forest and related issues.The CJI-led bench asked why Delhi Ridge is being treated separately, and there is so much focus on green areas of Delhi alone. "Delhi Ridge is a small component of Aravali Hills and similar efforts must go towards keeping the entire range and the towns nestled there green with forest cover."It said, "We must get out of the mindset that efforts should be focused on keeping Delhi and adjoining areas, being part of the national capital territory, green and maintaining the forest cover. We must have a holistic approach towards all the towns across India. If CEC is looking after the green cover of entire Aravali ranges, why can't it look after Delhi Ridge, which is a small component of the Aravali forests?"When amicus curiae and senior advocate K Parameswaran told the bench that DRMB was constituted by SC in Sept 1995, but encroachments are still rampant, Delhi govt informed the court that over 4,000 hectares of southern Ridge has been declared as reserve forest.In its Nov 11 judgment, SC had said, "The effect of non-notification of Ridge as Reserve Forest deprives the said area of any protection… We find that the GNCTD has not acted with swiftness in protecting the Ridge."