Delhi Central Ridge: SC Allows Removal Of 13,000 Invasive Trees, Orders Native Replantation

The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the Delhi government to remove more than 13,000 invasive trees from a 70-hectare stretch of the Central Ridge and replace them with indigenous species as part of an ecological restoration exercise.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, granted the Delhi government's forest and wildlife department permission to proceed with the work after the project faced objections in the Delhi High Court.

The department had sought urgent intervention from the Supreme Court, pointing out that September is considered the key plantation period.

SC Backs Removal Of Invasive Species

The court noted the need to remove invasive species including Vilayati Keekar (Prosopis juliflora), babool (Vachellia nilotica) and eucalyptus to make way for native trees such as neem, banyan, peepal, jamun and Amaltas.

“In 1970s, as the paper industry grew, farmers in India without knowing their harmful effect started planting Eucalyptus and other trees,” CJI Surya Kant observed, adding that farmers no longer commonly plant such trees and have found alternatives for timber and paper production.

According to the Delhi government, its 2026-27 annual plan envisages removing about 22,188 invasive trees spread across 191 hectares and replacing them with more than seven lakh trees and shrubs.

Around 9,000 invasive trees have already been removed, while approximately 5.31 lakh trees and shrubs have been planted, the government told the court.

The department said about 13,161 invasive trees remain to be removed from roughly 70 hectares.

Ridge Board To Supervise Restoration

While allowing the work, the Supreme Court directed that the exercise be carried out in accordance with the Delhi Eco-restoration Plan 2026-30 prepared by the Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun, and under the supervision of the Ridge Management Board.

The court also directed the Delhi government to submit a compliance report after completing the exercise and requested the FRI to deputise experts to inspect the work and submit a report.

The petition had been opposed by senior advocate Shoeb Alam, who said there was no objection to removing invasive species but questioned the manner in which the trees were being uprooted.

Alam argued that the removal process was also taking away topsoil, which could cause permanent damage to the forest because the nutrient-rich layer supports the growth of vegetation.

The bench acknowledged the concern and said the competing interests could be balanced by ensuring that the removal work was carried out under expert supervision.

The court's order allows the Delhi government to proceed with the restoration while putting the process under institutional and expert oversight.