How Themed Forests and Banned Pesticides Threaten a Vital Ecosystem
On March 11, 2026, the Delhi Government’s Department of Forests and Wildlife published a tender to develop four “themed forests” inside the Central Ridge, one of the last ecologically intact reserved forests in the capital. They named them Tirthankar Van, Ritu Van, Rashi Van, and Panchvati Van, forests themed around Hindu and Jain religious figures, seasons, zodiac signs, and Hindu sacred trees. The…