Approximately 41 sq km of the Southern Ridge in Delhi will be declared a reserve forest, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has announced.

The decision is a major step towards protecting the national capital from pollution and strengthening the environment in a sustainable manner, the Chief Minister said on Monday (October 13).

A reserve forest is given the highest level of protection under the Indian Forest Act, 1927, in which hunting, grazing, and logging are prohibited except when expressly permitted. Reserve forests are designated by state governments and are key to conserving and preserving habitats and wildlife.

Gupta said that the Delhi government would plant indigenous varieties of trees, including fruit-bearing trees, such as neem, peepal, shisham, mango, tamarind, and jamun on open

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