Delhi Metro is again in the firing line, this time for the construction of temporary structures in the Central Ridge area for its workers on the Airport Express Line.

The Forest department noticed that a sizeable part of the Delhi Ridge was denuded for making space for temporary structures for workers. The DMRC had been pulled up earlier too by conservationists for the 22.7-km long airport Express Line cutting through the ridge.

Till the ridge, the line is underground and from ridge it launches its elevated stretch. The fresh probe comes within months of a similar inquiry ordered after the Forest department received complaints that the Delhi Metro had cut more trees than permitted in the central ridge.

“It seems that the DMRC has flouted laws and cleared the vegetation for their temporary structures,” a senior official with the Environment department said. The DMRC, however, has strongly refuted the allegation. “We’ll conduct a joint inspection with the government and clarify that we have not violated any rules,” said DMRC spokesman Anuj Dayal.

Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta had called a meeting of the Forest department, the DMRC and the Environment department last week where it was decided to have a joint inspection of the site headed by Mehta to see the exact situation on ground.

Interestingly, even as there are allegations flying about the DMRC’s misuse of the Central Ridge, the Delhi government on Wednesday, kick-started their ridge rejuvenation programme. The programme has been specially designed by C R Babu of Delhi University. A list of native species was decided after a detailed study to plant across the Central Ridge area.

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