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Delhi Ridge

Coordinates:28°36′58″N77°10′08″E/ 28.616°N 77.169°E/28.616; 77.169
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Forest area of Delhi Ridge

Delhi Ridge,sometimes simply calledThe Ridge,is aridgein theNorthern Aravalli leopard wildlife corridorin the National Capital Territory ofDelhiinIndia.[1]It is a northern extension of the ancientAravalli Range,some 1.5 billion years old (by comparison, theHimalayasare "only" 50 million years old).[2][3]The ridge consists ofquartziterocks and extends from the southeast atTughlaqabad,near theBhatti mines,branching out in places and tapering off in the north nearWazirabadon the west bank of the riverYamuna,[4]covering about 35 kilometres.[5]

The Ridge acts as the "green lungs" for the city, and protects Delhi from the hot winds of the deserts ofRajasthanto the west. It has also enabled Delhi to be the world's second most bird-rich capital city, afterKenya'sNairobi.[6]

Though modest in height, the ridge acts as awatersheddividing theIndusPlain to the west from theGangeticPlain to the east, within theIndo-Gangetic plain.

History

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It is believed that the Aravallis are one of the oldest mountain ranges in Indiawhich evolved around 2.5 billion years agoin theArchaeozoictimes. Range extends fromGujaratthroughRajasthantoHaryana-Delhi.In Delhi the spurs of the Aravallis are commonly called as the Delhi Ridge which is divided into the Northern, Central, South Central and Southern Ridge.[7]

In 1993, parts ofnorth Delhi,central Delhi,south West Delhiandsouth Delhicovering 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.[8][9]

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 ofconstruction waste.[10]

Geographical segments

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The Ridge today, for administrative reasons, is divided into 4 separate zones,[11]namely:

  1. TheOld DelhiorNorthern Ridgedenotes the hilly area near Delhi University and is by far the smallest segment of the Ridge. Northern Ridge location is 28°40′52″N 77°12′57″E. Nearly 170 hectares were declared a Reserved Forest in 1915. Less than 87 hectares remain today nearDelhi University,which is being developed as theNorthern ridge biodiversity parkby theDelhi Development Authority.
  2. TheNew DelhiorCentral Ridgewas made into a Reserved Forest in 1914 and stretches from just south ofSadar BazaartoDhaula Kuan.It extends over 864 hectares, but some bits have been nibbled away.
  3. TheMehrauliorSouth-Central Ridgeis centred on "Sanjay Vana", nearJNUandVasant Kunj,and encompasses 633 hectares. Large chunks have been encroached and built upon. 70 hectares approximately nearSainik Farmare being developed as theTilpath Valley Biodiversity Park.
  4. TheTughlaqabadorSouthern Ridgesprawls across 6200 hectares and includes theAsola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary.This is the least urban of the 4 segments of the Ridge, but a lot of it is village-owned or privately owned farmland. This includesBandhwariandMangar Baniforests.

Northern ridge

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Also known as theKamala Nehru Ridgeit covers an area of 87 hectares and is located near the north campus ofDelhi University.The area is an interesting mix of nature and history and houses theNorthern ridge biodiversity parkdeveloped and maintained by theDelhi Development Authority (DHA).[12]

Historical monuments

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Flagstaff Tower

The North Ridge contains several monuments that date from the pre-Mughal to the British period.[12][13][14]

  1. Mutiny Memorial
  2. Ashokan Pillar
  3. Pir Ghaib (insideHindu Rao Hospital)
  4. Baoli (Step well) insideHindu Rao Hospital
  5. Chauburja Masjid
  6. Flagstaff Tower
  7. Eastern Guard House

Central ridge

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Central ridgeincludes 864 hectares which were made into a Reserved Forest in 1914 and stretches from just south ofSadar BazaartoDhaula Kuan.

Buddha Jayanti Park

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Buddha statue in the Buddha Jayanti Park

TheBuddha JayantiSmarak Parkis situated in the central part of the Delhi ridge inNew Delhi,India.It occupies a stretch of almost a kilometre on the eastern side ofVandemataram Marg,also known as Upper Ridge Road. It was created on the occasion of the 2500th anniversary ofGautama Buddha's enlightenment by Indian architect M. M. Rana.[15]A sapling of theBodhi TreefromSri Lankawas planted here by the then Prime Minister of India Shri.Lal Bahadur Shastrion 25 October 1964.

On an artificial island in the park stands pavilion with a gildedBuddha statuein it. It was dedicated by the14th Dalai Lamain October 1993. Each year in May onVaisakhaFull moon day theBuddha Jayantifestival is celebrated here.

Neeraj Gupta,an Indian sculpture artist and environmentalist is the president of Buddha Jayanti Park. In August 2023, Gupta planted 1000Cassia fistula(Amaltas) trees.[16][17][18]

South-Central Ridge

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South-Central Ridgeis encompasses 633 hectares. Large chunks have been encroached and built upon.

Aravalli Biodiversity Park

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Aravalli Biodiversity Park,Gurgaon
Northern Palm Squirrelin 'Aravalli Biodiversity Park', Delhi

Aravalli Biodiversity Park[7]is an area spreading over 2.8 km2(690 acres) on the South Central Delhi Ridge within theAravalli Range.The area is confined byJNU,Mehrauli-Mahipalpurroad, NH-8, Vasant Kunj, Masoodpur, Palam road and the southern boundary ofVasant Vihar.DDAandDU,under the joint Biodiversity Parks Programme, maintain the area. Every year a substantial amount of money is spent in restoration, development and maintenance.

The land under Aravalli Biodiversity Park was once a site for mining. Martha Shinde (Scindias) had a mining lease for the 2.3 km2(0.89 sq mi) area. They plundered out whatever they could. For years Shinde exploited forest resources including minerals, mica, sand, stone, rocks and water. Land, which once was covered with a dense forest, soon turned into pits and hillocks.

Scientists from the Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems (CEMDE) ofUniversity of Delhihave so far reintroduced over 10 ecosystems with over 40 biotic communities. Portions of Aravalli, which come underGujarat,are covered with natural dense forest. However, the land on which Aravalli Biodiversity Park is being developed, was devoid of such natural growth of forest due to extensive mining of the area. The CEMDE and DDA are reviving native flora and fauna of Aravalli hill ranges by planting of native species, such as dhau (Anogeissus pendula), dhak (Butea monosperma), babul (Acacia nilotica) and kair (Capparis decidua). A rangeland with native grasses has been developed and a systematic planting program is carried out and every year native trees and bushes are planted to remove unwanted weeds, i.e.Prosopis juliflora. A conservatory of butterflies, orchidarium and fernery has been developed.

TheAravali Biodiversity Park, Gurgaon,onGurgaon-Delhi border, developed by the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon, was inaugurated on 5 June 2010,World Environment Day.[7]

Neela Hauz Biodiversity Park

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Main article:Neela Hauz biodiversity park

Neela Hauz biodiversity park, next to Sanjay Van in South Central Ridge, was restored in 2015-16. In 2014, of the 611 water bodies in Delhi, 274 were dead and remaining were in bad shape. Neela hauz is a freshwater lake which was slowly dying due to the dumping of waste.[19]During ancient times it used to be the main source of water supply for theRajputcity ofQila Rai Pithora.[19]During ancient times, its basin was recharged by the wider dense forests of Sanjay Van and its overflow drained in toYamuna.[19]

In 2014, the wetland was covered withwater hyacinthand ridge was infested with the invasive species ofprosopis juliflora(Vilayati BabulorKikarof Mexican origin), which were planted in the 1920s by theBritisher colonisersto rehabilitate the wasteland.[20][21][19]The silted up lake was encroached upon and raw sewage drained into it, causing concerned citizens to take an order fromDelhi High Courtto have it restored by the government.[19]After the restoration started in 2015, this biodiversity park was officially inaugurated in November 2016.[19]

Sanjay Van

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Main article:Sanjay Van

Sanjay Van is located nearJawaharlal Nehru UniversityandVasant Kunj.

Southern Ridge

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Southern Ridgesprawls across 6200 hectares and includes theAsola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary,BandhwariandMangar Baniforests. This is the least urban of the 4 segments of the Ridge, but a lot of it is village-owned or privately owned farmland.

Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary

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Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuaryis a 32.71 km2biodiversity area in the South Ridge on Delhi-Haryana border lies south of Delhi. It is an important habitat for theIndian leopard.Endangered speciesin the sanctuary includered-headed vultureandegyptian vulture,and theGovernment of Haryanahas avulture conservation program in place.Near-threatened speciesincludepainted stork,white-faced ibisandeuropean roller.Rare birds includeblack francolinandgrey-headed fish eagle.Plant species includebutea monosperma(dhak or flame of forest),anogeissus(dhok),Wrightia tinctoria(inderjao),Indian elm,neolamarckia cadamba(kadamba),prosopis cineraria(jaand),tinospora cordifolia(giloi), etc.[22]

Mangar Bani forest

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Mangar Bani,neolithicarchaeological site andsacred grovehill forest on Delhi-Haryana border, is in theSouth Delhi RidgeofAravallimountain range inFaridabadtehsilofFaridabad districtin the Indian state ofHaryana.[23][24][25]

It lies within theNorthern Aravalli leopard wildlife corridorstretching fromSariska Tiger Reserveto Delhi. Historical place around sanctuary areBadkhal Lake(6 km northeast), 10th century ancientSurajkundreservoir (15 km north) andAnangpur Dam(16 km north),Damdama Lake,Tughlaqabad FortandAdilabad ruins(both in Delhi),Chhatarpur Temple(in Delhi).[26]It is contiguous to the seasonalwaterfalls in Pali-Dhuaj-Kot villages of Faridabad,[27]and theAsola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary.It is also an important wetland for themigratory birdsas there are several dozen lakes formed in the abandonedopen pit minesin and around the area.

Spread over 5000 ha, this is the largest pre-historic site and stone age tool making factory in theIndian subcontinent,first ever site discovered in the Aravalli range with cave paintings. The stone tools and rock art dating back to 100,000 years BP and cave paintings date back to 20,000-40,000 BP. This is also the oldest human habitation discovered in Haryana and Delhi NCR.[28]

Tilpath Valley Biodiversity Park

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Tilpath Valley Biodiversity Park,spread over 172 acres is a biodiversity area in the South Ridge, immediately northwest of Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary and south ofSainik Farm.Before the area had valleys dotted with the sand-mined quarries, dried up springs due to no charging of ground water, with no forest cover except the invasive weed species of prosopis juliflora,lantanaandparthenium.This was replaced with 3 layer of forest community with native trees and plants such asmahua,haldu,sheeshamandbael.Scrubland was restored to attract reptiles and birds. 100,000 trees were planted in 2015 with the effort of 40,000 volunteers in 6 hours and 20,000 trees in 2016 again. Wildlife survey is conducted usingpugmarksare tracking usingpug impression padand by photographing the wild animals.[20]It now covers grasslands, hilly terrain, 105 plant species, 103 bird species, 32 butterflies species, 15 herpetofauna (reptiles and amphibians) species and eight mammalian species includingleopard,Indian rock Python,jackals,neelgai,mongooses,porcupines,small Indian civet,gecko,Sirkeer malkohacuckoo,nightjar,Indian paradise flycatcher.[21]

Being developed since 2015, it was officially inaugurated as Delhi's third biodiversity park on 3 February 2018.[20][21]

See also

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References

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Citations
  1. ^Bindhy Wasini Pandey (January 2005),Natural Resource Management,Mittal Publications, 2005,ISBN978-81-7099-986-7,... The Ridge and its neighbouring hilly tracts represent the natural flora. The major natural forests in Delhi are generally restricted to the Ridge. The natural flora is a tropical, thorny and secondary forest.
  2. ^Geological Survey of India (1872),Records of the Geological Survey of India, Volumes 5-7,Government of India, 1872,... These ridges are prolongations of the Aravali mountain system, and are approximately on the line of the Indo-gangetic watershed...
  3. ^Lindsay Brown, Amelia Thomas (2008),Rajasthan, Delhi and Agra,Lonely Planet, 2008,ISBN978-1-74104-690-8,... Delhi lies on the vast flatlands of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, though the northernmost pimples of the Aravallis amount to the Ridge, which lies west of the city centre...
  4. ^"Delhi Ridge".Parks and Gardens in Delhi.IndFY. Archived fromthe originalon 3 July 2013.Retrieved23 December2006.
  5. ^"Geology Details".rainwaterharvesting.Centre for Science and Environment.Retrieved23 December2006.
  6. ^"A round-the-year guide to engaging with nature".The Hindu.2 January 2020.ISSN0971-751X.Retrieved27 August2021.
  7. ^abcAravali Bio-Diversity Park Curtain Raising On World Environment Day 5 June 2010Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon.
  8. ^Darpan Singh (4 September 2013)."Govt assures to demarcate Delhi ridge boundaries by mid-October".Hindustan Times. Archived fromthe originalon 5 September 2013.Retrieved10 September2013.
  9. ^ Darpan Singh (3 September 2013)."Forest dept prepares plan to save the Delhi ridge".Hindustan Times. Archived fromthe originalon 10 September 2013.Retrieved10 September2013.
  10. ^Shivani Singh (9 September 2013)."Land rush spoils Delhi's enviable green records".Hindustan Times.Archived fromthe originalon 10 September 2013.Retrieved10 September2013.
  11. ^Trees of Delhi: A Field Guide.Dorling Kindersley. 2006.ISBN0144000709.
  12. ^abDatta, Rangan (2 August 2022)."A walking tour of Delhi's Northern Ridge".The Telegraph. My Kolkata.Retrieved25 November2023.
  13. ^"Flagstaff Tower, Old Delhi".victorianweb.org.Retrieved5 September2012.
  14. ^"Flagstaff Tower - Northern Ridge, Delhi".Indian Express, Expresstravel. Archived fromthe originalon 28 October 2012.Retrieved5 September2012.
  15. ^"Buddha Jayanti Park".Government of NCT of Delhi - Delhi Tourism.Retrieved3 January2017.
  16. ^"Thousand Amaltas Trees Planted in Buddha Jayanti Park".LatestLY.10 August 2023.
  17. ^Bajaj, Aarti."Neeraj Gupta, president of Buddha Jayanti Park, organized a tree plantation program".Bru Times News.
  18. ^"Sculpting thoughts: Neeraj Gupta's public art".Tribune India.
  19. ^abcdefM Jaggi, June 2017,NOPR: Neela Hauz Biodiversity Park – From Barren to Beautiful, SR Vol.54(06).
  20. ^abcTwo years on, Tilpath Valley Biodiversity Park breathes again,Times of India, 23 Feb 2018.
  21. ^abcDelhi gets its third biodiversity park in Tilpat Valley,Hindustan Times, 3 Feb 2018.
  22. ^Haryana Government moots buffer zone to save Asola sanctuary,Times of India, 30 Jan 2019.
  23. ^Mendiratta, Navneet (30 July 2017)."Here's why Mangar Bani can be your ideal weekend getaway".India Today.India:India Today.Retrieved16 January2019.
  24. ^"Saving Mangar Bani: Why returning grove to original custodians may be only solution - Times of India".The Times of India.India.Retrieved16 January2019.
  25. ^"Haryana's Mangar Bani forest demarcated at last".hindustantimes /.India:Hindustan Times.3 September 2015.Retrieved16 January2019.
  26. ^Asola Bhatti Wild Life SanctuaryArchived16 August 2011 at theWayback Machine,Department of Forest, Delhi Government
  27. ^पाली गांव की पहाड़ियों पर डैम बनाकर रोका जाएगा झरनों का पानी
  28. ^Stone Age tools, cave paintings discovered in Haryana could be clues to ‘prehistoric factory’,The Print, 2 July Sep 2017.
Bibliography
External links
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