Delhi Ridge Management Board Reconstituted Lg Taranjit Singh Sandhu

Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Tuesday approved the reconstitution of the Delhi Ridge Management Board (DRMB), a body tasked with protecting and managing the Capital’s vital Ridge ecosystem.

According to a statement issued by the LG Office, the new board is intended to provide a coordinated platform for environmental monitoring and enforcement by bringing together agencies that currently share responsibility for ridge protection.

While the Ridge land is owned by the DDA, its maintenance is handled by the Delhi government’s Environment and Forest department, while enforcement responsibilities are shared by the MCD, NDMC, Revenue Department and Delhi Police.

The Chief Secretary of Delhi will serve as chairperson of the Board, said officials. The other members include the Vice-Chairman of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA); representatives of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs; the Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD); the Chairperson of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC); the Director General of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD); a representative of Delhi Police; the Principal Secretary (Revenue); the Principal Secretary (Environment and Forests); Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF); Chandra Prakash Goyal from the Central Empowered Committee (CEC); retired Indian Forest Service officer Arvind Madhav Singh; and researcher Malvika Kaul.

Under the new arrangement, the PCCF will serve as Member-Secretary and oversee implementation on the ground, while Goyal will represent the CEC on the board.

The LG Office also said two non-government members have been inducted to strengthen expert participation and public engagement.

Singh, who heads the Centre for Sustainable Green Economy, has been included to contribute expertise on sustainable conservation practices, while Kaul, Director of Research and Communications at the Sankala Foundation, has been inducted to support research-driven public participation and community engagement initiatives.

The notification also provides for a Standing Committee under the DRMB to deal with urgent environmental matters. The committee will be headed by a CEC nominee and include the PCCF as Member-Secretary and the Additional Commissioner (Landscape) of the DDA as a member.

According to the LG Office, the committee’s powers and functions will be co-extensive with those of the board and will operate under its supervision to ensure accountability and quicker decision-making.

The reconstituted board has been notified in pursuance of directions of the Supreme Court in the T N Godavarman Thirumulpad case and under Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

Devansh Mittal is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in the New Delhi City bureau. He reports on urban policy, civic governance, and infrastructure in the National Capital Region, with a growing focus on housing, land policy, transport, and the disruption economy and its social implications. Professional Background Education: He studied Political Science at Ashoka University. Core Beats: His reporting focuses on policy and governance in the National Capital Region, one of the largest urban agglomerations in the world. He covers housing and land policy, municipal governance, urban transport, and the interface between infrastructure, regulation, and everyday life in the city. Recent Notable Work His recent reporting includes in-depth examinations of urban policy and its on-ground consequences: An investigation into subvention-linked home loans that documented how homebuyers were drawn into under-construction projects through a “builder–bank” nexus, often leaving them financially exposed when delivery stalled. A detailed report on why Delhi’s land-pooling policy has remained stalled since 2007, tracing how fragmented land ownership, policy design flaws, and mistrust among stakeholders have kept one of the capital’s flagship urban reforms in limbo. A reported piece examining the collapse of an electric mobility startup and what it meant for women drivers dependent on the platform for livelihoods. Reporting Approach Devansh’s work combines on-ground reporting with analysis of government data, court records, and academic research. He regularly reports from neighbourhoods, government offices, and courtrooms to explain how decisions on housing, transport, and the disruption economy shape everyday life in the city. Contact X (Twitter): @devanshmittal_ Email: devansh.mittal@expressindia.com ... Read More