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.
Earthmover tracks on cleared forest land. 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.
Wilted saplings planted as part of the Ek Ped Maa ke Naam project. 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…
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