On nudge by HC, Delhi forms panel to save deemed forest

The Delhi forest and wildlife department on Thursday formed an internal committee that will meet at least once every month to discuss matters related to the protection of the city’s deemed forests, officials aware of the matter said.

The committee has been formed on directions of the Delhi high court and will submit monthly status reports to the court before the seventh of every month, officials added.

A deemed forest is not a notified or a reserve forest and different states have different definitions. In Delhi, any area over 2.5 acres with over 100 trees per acre is called a deemed forest. Similarly, 1km stretches of roads and drains with the same density are also deemed forests. The concept came into existence following a Supreme Court order in the case of TN Godavarman in 1996.

In an order dated January 25, the forest department said the internal committee will comprise up to seven members and will be headed by Delhi’s chief conservator of forests as its chairperson. It will also include the conservator of forests, the deputy conservator of forest (P and M) and the deputy conservators from the north, south, west and central forest divisions. The committee will be responsible for the identification and protection of such forests in Delhi.

The high court in its order dated December 15, 2023, had directed for the creation of such a committee. “The committee will ensure concrete steps are taken for the protection, preservation, reclamation and enhancement of forests (protected and deemed).

The forest department had, in an affidavit last month, informed the high court it had already digitally demarcated over 2,000 hectares and around 458km of roads and drains as deemed forests. Forest officials also said they were using geographic information systems (GIS) to digitally define boundaries of such forests using both 1997 data — when such forests were first identified in Delhi, and more recently, using the latest India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021.

“Over 1,000 hectares of deemed forest land has already been identified and subsequently, been digitally demarcated on maps using satellite imagery and GIS data,” said a forest official, adding that around 1,000 hectares were currently under the process of demarcation.

HT also reported last month that the forest department had sought clarification from the Centre if deemed forest areas, identified in the past, but no longer meeting the density criteria, could be used for development purposes.

“Over time, these stretches of roads have lost density of trees that do not meet the criteria conveyed in the affidavit filed by conservator of forest, government of India... in the Supreme Court of India. Now, for various developmental activities such as road expansion, metro corridor and other developments, agencies submit their application for tree felling on such stretches of roads which are listed in the aforementioned affidavit as deemed forests. It is requested to kindly clarify whether the criteria of deemed forests and areas mentioned in the said affidavit filed in Supreme Court by GNCTD still qualify the status of deemed forests or not,” the letter had said.