Delhi Morphological Ridge
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A backgrounder
As of 2025
Sophiya Mathew, May 11, 2025: The Indian Express
The Supreme Court on May 7 issued show cause notices to senior Delhi government officials, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) commissioner, and a private developer, seeking explanations for alleged violations of its 1996 directive under the M C Mehta vs Union of India case and going ahead with the construction of a housing society in the “morphological ridge” area, an ecologically sensitive zone, in Vasant Kunj. The 1996 directive held that ridge land must be safeguarded against encroachment and non-forest use without prior court approval.
The private housing group project was given a nod in the morphological ridge area without approaching the Ridge Management Board or the SC-enabled Central Empowered Committee (CEC), as is required in such cases.
The action stems from a contempt petition filed by environmental activist Bhavreen Kandhari, who had challenged the permissions granted to the housing project being developed by RR Texknit LLP. The Indian Express had reported on March 25 that the project would come up on an area of 25,650 sq m, and include three basements, a stilt, and nine floors.
What is the Morphological Ridge?
The Delhi Ridge is the tail-end of the city’s ancient Aravalli hill range, and an ecologically critical zone. It works as a green lung for the capital and a natural barrier against hazards such as desertification and pollution. Entering Delhi from Gurgaon in the southwest, this Ridge stretches for around 35 km from the south of Mahipalpur to southeast of Tughlakabad, petering out in Wazirabad on the western bank of Yamuna.
The Morphological Ridge, on the other hand, is a geologically extended Ridge area. It is not officially notified as forest land but enjoys protection under several High Court and Supreme Court rulings over the past decade. It possesses the same rocky outcrop and vegetative cover as the recognised Ridge area. The extent of the Morphological Ridge is based on a Delhi Forest Department map, itself based on the seismic zonation map of Delhi 2006, undertaken under the Geological Survey of India.
Why is the Morphological Ridge important?
Over the years, ecologists and the courts have emphasised the importance of this zone. According to a 2022 official document by Delhi’s Department of Forests and Wildlife, “Morphological Ridge, having similar features to the notified Ridge, is of immense ecological importance, and should also be conserved and kept free from unrestricted and unplanned development. It should work as a buffer zone to protect the core forest area of the Ridge.”
Foresters have also expressed caution, saying that the area comes under a “high risk zone; so construction of high-rise buildings in the morphological Ridge area may be dangerous.”
The region shares the same physical and ecological characteristics as the officially designated Ridge — rocky Aravalli outcrops, shallow soil layers, and dry thorn forest vegetation. This land is often recorded as “gair mumkin pahad” (uncultivable rocky hill) in revenue records.
The Morphological Ridge area primarily features tropical dry thorn forest characterised by scattered trees, thorny scrubs and drought-resistant plant species. The native species generally exhibit stunted growth. For instance, bistendu and the broad-leaved dhak, both native to Delhi, are common in such areas.
The vegetation varies as one moves from north to south within the Ridge and the Morphological Ridge, reflecting the changes in the soil texture. The southern Ridge is drier and more rugged, with thinner soils and exposed rocks, while the central and northern Ridges have slightly more water-retentive soil and denser vegetation.
How is land use in the Morphological Ridge regulated?
The ground-truthing and field verification of the Ridge remain incomplete, delaying the final notification of the area as a Reserved Forest under Section 20 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927. All land use changes in the Ridge or Morphological Ridge areas require approvals from the Ridge Management Board (RMB) and the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC). However, land use disputes have emerged between environmentalists, residents, and project developers.
