The Delhi government has declared around 670 hectares of the Central Ridge — one of the Capital’s most important ecological zones — as a “ reserved forest ”. Authorities have also laid out plans to develop special vans (forests) and plant “native” tree species there. The 864-hectare Central Ridge is a part of the larger Delhi Ridge system, an extension of the ancient Aravalli range. The 35-km Delhi Ridge is a fragmented forested zone that runs through the city and acts as its green lungs. The Central Ridge, however, was already a reserved forest, first notified in 1994 under Section 4 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927. Much like what happens with Protected Areas under the Wildlife Protection Act, a ‘first’ notification is meant to be followed by a settlement of rights, after which a ‘second’ notification under Section 20 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, puts a final seal on the matter. It has taken more than 30 years, but this second notification completes a process that needed to happen.…