DELHI GOES WILD!

1,000 more acres of the Indian capital’s Southern Ridge are set for forest protection – with native wildlife and plants at the heart of its revival

In one of the world’s biggest cities, almost 1,000 acres of precious green space are set to receive stronger protection.

Around 400 hectares of Delhi’s Southern Ridge have been approved for Reserved Forest status, extending legal protection across another substantial piece of the Indian capital’s natural landscape.

Once the notification process is completed, around 13,000 acres of Delhi’s Ridge will have Reserved Forest status.

But this isn’t simply about drawing a new boundary on a map.

Plans for the Ridge also include restoring damaged areas, encouraging native plant species, controlling invasive species and protecting habitats – helping an important urban ecosystem recover for the future.

A wild side to Delhi

Home to more than 30 million people across its wider metropolitan area, Delhi might not be the first place that springs to mind when you think of forests.

Yet running through the capital is an extraordinary natural feature.

The Delhi Ridge is an extension of the ancient Aravalli range and forms one of the city’s most important areas of natural green space.

The Southern Ridge alone stretches across approximately 6,200 hectares, making it the largest section of Delhi’s Ridge system.

Its importance goes well beyond providing somewhere green among the buildings.

The Ridge provides habitat for wildlife and vegetation while contributing to biodiversity, dust control and temperature regulation in the city.

And now another sizeable section is moving towards permanent statutory protection.

More than 30 years in the making

The story has been a long time coming.

Large parts of the Delhi Ridge were earmarked for forest protection back in 1994, but some areas have spent decades waiting for the process to be completed.

Progress has accelerated during 2026, with parts of the Southern Ridge receiving final Reserved Forest protection in March, followed by the Central Ridge in May.

The latest decision adds approximately another 1,000 acres to the land heading for protected status.

A new Delhi Ridge Management Board has also been established this year to oversee conservation, ecological restoration, afforestation and habitat protection.

Restoration work is expected to concentrate particularly on degraded areas, promoting native vegetation and scientifically managing invasive species that can crowd out the plants naturally found there.

Giving nature room to recover

There are still challenges.

Some areas of the Southern Ridge remain affected by settlements, encroachment disputes, unauthorised colonies and other land-use issues, meaning not every part of this enormous green landscape can immediately receive the same protection.

Officials are examining those areas separately, with further eligible land expected to be considered in phases.

But for the latest 1,000 acres, the direction is clear.

In a vast and densely populated capital where every patch of natural land matters, an area equivalent to hundreds of football pitches is moving towards stronger protection – while damaged parts of the landscape are being given the opportunity to recover.

Cities don’t have to be entirely concrete.

Sometimes, even among millions of people, nature can still be given a little more room to go wild.