Uprooting a forest for a park: The destructive ‘restoration’ of Delhi’s Central Ridge

Earthmover tracks wind their way through a forest clearing. Caked and compacted soil is exposed to the sun. Tree saplings are planted in rows. There are piles of uprooted forest shrubs and chopped tree-trunks. A termite mound has been destroyed. This scene, reminiscent of a war zone, is from the Central Ridge of Delhi, an offshoot of the geologically ancient Aravalli Hills.

The Ridge, located in the heart of Lutyen’s Delhi, has recently been taken up for ill-planned “restoration”. Surprisingly, the institution responsible is the one mandated to protect and conserve forests, the Delhi Forest Department.

The Central Ridge, covering 864 hectares at one time, is composed of gently undulating hills and rock faces, dry forests and grasslands, dissected by tiny rivulets. It was completely deforested during the Indian Uprising of 1857, when it was used for army encampments by the British.

From 1914, when Lutyen’s Delhi was being planned, this area was planted over with the exotic Vilayati Kikar (Neltuma juliflora), among other trees, with the aim of restoring Delhi’s greenery. Vilayati Kikar proved to be a resilient invasive that rapidly expanded its range, jostling out native flora and fauna, and currently overruns most of Delhi’s remaining forests.

A hundred years later, numerous native species have made a dramatic return under the canopy of the ageing Vilayati Kikar trees. For instance, Heens (Capparis sepiaria), Ganger (Grewia tenax) and Arushta (Adhatoda vasica) are today growing abundantly in the understorey, providing niches for numerous birds, mammals and insects.

Small groves of native trees have also stood their ground through the last century such as the Kadamba (Mitragyna parvifolia), Ronj (Acacia leucophloea) and the sacred Barna (Crataeva religiosa). Birdlife is surprisingly diverse. The calls of the Brownheaded Barbet, Common Hawk-cuckoo and Grey Francolin can be heard while Jungle Babblers and Grey Hornbills are easily spotted. A Kalpavriksh publication reports that as many as 200 species of birds have been recorded from the Delhi Ridge over the last century, many of which are scrub forest specialists.

Now, the Delhi Forest Department has abruptly decided to restore the Central Ridge forest with the principal aims being the large-scale clearing of Vilayati Kikar, followed by replanting. A range of modifications have been implemented in these forests that go against accepted tenets of restoration science and threaten to destroy both remnant biodiversity and irreversibly alter soil conditions.

The easy way out has been adopted: trees and shrubs are being cleared using heavy machinery. The forest soil is being dug up by earthmovers, which is both compacting the soil and destroying its fauna, including termites, earthworms, insects and spiders. The rich forest soils that have accumulated nutrients over time are being cleared of forest debris and exposed to the harsh summer sun, turning it into a compacted mass.

Remnant native shrubs, herbs and trees are being eliminated, with scattered exceptions. The biocrust – the thin organic covering of the soil that harbours a rich set of micro-organisms, including algae and fungi and that are critical for the health of the soil, is being destroyed.

In place of this diverse ecosystem, artificial parks have been created such as the Nyaya Vatika and Ek Ped Maa ke Naam project, each covering 30 acres-40 acres. Saplings have been planted in the cleared plots but mortality rates are visibly high. This is expected when young saplings are planted in denuded soils, in inappropriate microsites, and with scarcely any shade. Four religiously-themed forests or vans have been planned as well.

The active Working Plan of the Forest Department lists trees for plantation of which 12% are exotic and 50% are not native to the Aravallis. A random mix of tree species have been planted already, a large proportion of which are neither native to India nor to the Aravallis such as Jungle Jalebi (Pithecolobium dulce) and African Sausage Tree (Kigelia pinnata).

Where native species are used, they have not been planted in appropriate microsites. Micro-habitats suitable for specific species and tree communities need to be respected while planting.

In the Aravallis, there is a natural differentiation of vegetation according to slope, soils, degree of rockiness and soil moisture. For instance, rocky cliffs harbour the Salai tree (Boswellia serrata), rocky slopes are covered by the Dhok (Anogeissus pendula), while the low-lying alluvial strips in between the hills are suitable for Palash (Butea monosperma) and Ber (Zizyphus mauritiana). The streamside terrain has its own diverse set of moisture-loving tree species like Jamun (Syzygium cumini), Gular (Ficus racemosa) and Kadamba (Mitragyna parvifolia). The immense diversity of these mini-forest types is what nurtures the native fauna of this region including the nilgai, the porcupine and the palm civet.

There are now accepted methods for removing invasive species and restoring forests with all their heterogeneity and diversity. Good restoration practice depends on field studies of “reference sites” in the Aravallis, such as Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan and Mangar Bani in southern Haryana. This is usually the first step in restoration. The existing forest landscape is surveyed so that naturally occurring assemblages of trees, their inter-relationships and their micro-habitats can be preserved as far as possible.

The removal of Vilayati Kikar trees is something that most ecologists agree upon as it is the first step in restoring the native forest. However, rather than destructive means such as bulldozing, there are alternatives such as girdling. In this method, tree trunks of invasive trees are girdled, so that they die gradually and nutrients are recycled naturally into the soil. The gradual opening up of the canopy due to tree mortality, would likely allow the growth of native trees and shrubs that are already present as seedlings and saplings.

Further, sturdy two-three-year old saplings of native species, particularly those that are disappearing from the Delhi NCR, should be planted in these gaps. Such an approach would preserve the soil fertility and texture, save scarce resources and improve survival rates of planted trees. Neither would there be any need for repeated irrigation, a wasteful process in a water-scarce region.

Every restoration site requires techniques and procedures faithful to the local ecology and terrain. Poor site-specific knowledge and a lack of sensitivity to the nuances of nature, can result in unpredictable consequences.

The Central Ridge itself has legally been declared a Reserved Forest under the Indian Forest Act (1927). Modifications of the vegetation into themed forests and parks have been inexplicably allowed, despite the fact that such drastic interventions can be deemed as illegal “non-forest activity”.

New Delhi is fortunate in having a large forest which effectively modulates climate, secures groundwater in a drought-prone region, and provides a refuge for urban wildlife. With good planning, the Ridge can also provide much-needed space for nature-linked recreation: a critical necessity in an increasingly crowded city. In this vibrant heart of Delhi, only the right kind of science and sensitivity can preserve all of the ecosystem services that we urgently need today.

Ghazala Shahabuddin teaches environmental studies at Ashoka University, Sonipat and researches ecological issues at the interface of human society and biodiversity conservation.