Overview
- A bench led by Chief Justice Bhushan R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran directed removal of all encroachments and ordered afforestation and habitat conservation across the Delhi Ridge and the Morphological Ridge.
- The reconstituted 14-member Delhi Ridge Management Board will be chaired by the Delhi chief secretary with nominees from MoEFCC and MoHUA, the CEC, DDA, MCD, NDMC, CPWD, Delhi Police and civil society.
- A five-member standing committee chaired by a CEC member will take time-sensitive decisions on the model of the National Board for Wildlife’s standing committee.
- The Court mandated six-monthly status reports from the Board, quarterly updates from the CEC member to the Court, advance public notices for meetings, and online publication of reports.
- The ruling cites a CEC finding of roughly 308.5 hectares under encroachment, rebukes the Delhi government for prolonged inaction, and rejects the Centre’s concern about overlap with other authorities.