MCD shares status of 16 ‘deemed forest sites’ across Delhi

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has submitted with the state forest department a survey report on the current status of 16 sites within its jurisdiction which are marked as “deemed forest land”, officials from the civic body said on Tuesday.
The status report, the officials said, also lists the attempts made to protect and restore these sites, with techniques including gap plantation, removal of encroachments, and signboards identifying their status, among others.
The 16 deemed forest sites were identified by a committee formed by the then conservator of forests in 1997, and work on their rejuvenation is being overseen by a committee for the protection of deemed forests, headed by retired judge justice Najmi Waziri. Based on the 1997 identification, a number of patches — which are now roads, drains, or parks — were also classified as deemed forests.
The forest department did not comment on the development.
According to the MCD report, dated October 8, of these 16 sites, six sites fall under the Central zone, four under the West zone, two under the South zone, two in Keshavpuram, and one each in Narela and Shahdara South.
The survey of these sites found that these sites have a cumulative area of 92-acres and they were found to contain 20,570 trees.
The Central Delhi sites include Feroz Gandhi road, Link Road (near Defence Colony), the area along the drain in Defence Colony, Store Wala Park in New Friends Colony, SLF Tughlaqabad, and Rajiv Gandhi Smriti Van.
The four sites in West Delhi are the regional park in Punjabi Bagh, green belt number 2 and 3 in Punjabi Bagh, and the old landfill site in Uttam Nagar. Other locations range from B3 block Paschim Vihar, Bhorgarh nursery, the park opposite the DDA market in Shanti Niketan, the central park in Mayur Vihar phase-3 pocket A-2, the green belt in Ashok Vihar CD block, and a patch in Greater Kailash W-block.
“The Municipal Corporation of Delhi in its restoration efforts has planted 4,806 trees during this year to these sites with maximum plantation carried out in Defence Colony, Greater Kailash and Uttam Nagar,” the report stated.
It also noted that a religious structure in the Mayur Vihar phase-3 site encroaches upon the deemed forest, and its removal will require clearance from the religious committee, officials added.
The official further said that steps are being taken in the backdrop of a December 21, 2023 high court order, which directed for the constitution of a committee consisting of the chief conservator of forests, conservator of forests, and deputy conservator of forests (protecting and monitoring) and the deputy conservator of forests concerned for the preservation of the deemed forests.
The court had stated that it is the “responsibility of this committee to protect the trees here”.
Later, in April this year, the court had requested former high court judge justice Waziri to chair an internal departmental committee for the protection of forests. “While regular meetings of the committee are held, a team from the forest department is also conducting random visits, drone surveys, and counting of trees as per set guidelines. We have submitted initial details to the forest department,” said the official.