New Delhi, June 23 -- Environmental activists on Monday alleged that a patch of land inside the Central Ridge has been "cleared" of trees, shrubs and other vegetation as part of Delhi government's plan to develop themed, or "special", forests in parts of the Ridge. A senior forest department official, requesting anonymity, declined to comment directly on the allegations but confirmed that work on the project had begun and that "vilayati keekar, vegetation and subabool trees are being removed as per the approved action plan". "The full extent of the work will be visible in another 10-15 days," the official said. HT had reported in March this year that the government had proposed the creation of a series of "special vans" in select pockets of the Central Ridge and South Ridge, covering over two acres. Officials had said that the initiative was aimed at enhancing the green cover, while blending ecological restoration with cultural and traditional concepts. However, the project had drawn opposition from activists, who said that introducing curated plantations and increased public footfall could disrupt existing biodiversity and fragile ecosystems. Photographs taken by activists on Sunday appear to show a large patch of land within the forest cleared of vegetation. The images show stone-lined walkways leading to a wooden hut at the edge of the site. The structure is surrounded by a moat and connected by a wooden bridge. The area, activists said, was, located around 400 metres northeast of Malcha Mahal within the Central Ridge. HT verified the location using metadata embedded in the images. Other photographs showed rows of saplings and ornamental plants stacked on one side of the site, apparently awaiting plantation. According to the activists, a contractor at the site told them that the work was going for the "Panchvati Van," drawing from sacred groves and references in epics, such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata. According to tender documents accessed by HT in March, bamboo huts and gravel-lined tracks were supposed to be part of the project. The forest department official quoted above neither confirmed nor denied whether the photos depicted the project area. HT attempted to visit the site on Monday but was denied entry by a guard stationed at a gate on Sardar Patel Marg, who said that permission was required to enter the premises since it was involved in a court case. A notice board displayed at the entrance said that entry into the forest without permission was prohibited. Ecological restoration practitioner and author Pradip Krishen criticised the project, arguing that the species being planted in the area do not belong to the Ridge's natural ecosystem. "This is meant to be a forest, not an ornamental municipal park. The forest department should be planting flora that is native to the area." Referring to the Ridge's classification as a reserve forest, activist Bhavreen Khandari, said, "This is plainly illegal and in direct violation of the orders of both the HC and Supreme Court." "The forest department is not above the law and beyond judicial scrutiny. The narrative being built around Keekar is increasingly being used to justify interventions that lack ecological and legal grounding. A forest is not a park, a garden, a landscaping project or an event location. Natural ecosystems must be protected and restored through sound ecological principles, not reshaped to fit administrative or aesthetic preferences," she said....