Delhi Ridge
Delhi Ridge, sometimes simply called The Ridge, is a ridge in the National Capital Territory of Delhi in India. The ridge is a northern extension of the ancient Aravalli Range, some 1500 million years old (compared to just 50 million for the Himalaya). The ridge consists of quartzite rocks and extends from the Southeast at Tughlaqabad, near the Bhatti mines, branching out in places and tapering off in the north near Wazirabad on the west bank of the river Yamuna, covering a distance of about 35 kilometers.
The Delhi Ridge is said to be the green lungs for the city and protects Delhi from the hot winds of the deserts of Rajasthan to the west. It is also responsible for earning Delhi the tag of the world's second most bird-rich capital city, after Kenya's Nairobi.
The Ridge today, for administrative reasons, is divided into 4 separate zones, namely:
In 1993, parts of north Delhi, central Delhi, south West Delhi and south Delhi covering 7,777 hectares was declared a reserve forest. Thereafter in 1994 and 1996, a major part of the ridge was notified by the Government, thus stopping all construction.
Over the years, pressures of urban development, have seen forests of Delhi ridge under threat. In many areas, landscaped public parks, and public housing have come up, plus the area also faces dumping of construction waste.
The Aravali Biodiversity Park is an area spreading over 692 acres (2.80 km2) on the South Central Delhi Ridge within the Aravalli Range. The area is confined by JNU, the Mehrauli - Mahipalpur road, NH-8, Vasant Kunj, Masoodpur and the Palam road and the southern boundary of Vasant Vihar, Delhi. Delhi Development Authority and University of Delhi, under the joint Biodiversity Parks Programme, maintain the area. Every year a substantial amount of money is spent in restoration, development and maintenance.
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