Why India Needs Stable Urban Forests: Safeguarding Green Lungs for Sustainable Cities

In May 2024, the Supreme Court of India reprimanded the Telangana government for falsely claiming the Kancha Gachibowli forest in Hyderabad was not forest land. This comes amidst increasing deforestation across Indian cities under the garb of development and infrastructure. As cities expand, urban forests are being swallowed by real estate and roadways, even as heatwaves, floods, and pollution worsen. The Hyderabad episode is a reminder that ecological stability must become integral to India's urban planning doctrine.

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1. Introduction:

Urban India is expanding at an unprecedented pace. By 2030, nearly 40% of India’s population will reside in cities. But this urbanisation has often come at the cost of natural ecosystems, especially forests located within city boundaries. From the Delhi Ridge to Mumbai's Aarey and now Hyderabad’s Kancha Gachibowli, urban forests are increasingly being targeted for diversion.

Yet, these forests are more than patches of greenery; they are the ecological infrastructure of a city. They stabilise climate, improve public health, and build resilience against disasters. The need to secure urban forests is no longer an environmentalist plea – it is a developmental imperative.

2. Why Urban Forests Matter:

Urban forests perform several essential ecosystem services that directly benefit urban citizens:

Climate Regulation: Trees mitigate the urban heat island effect by lowering surface and ambient temperatures, particularly during peak summer months.
Pollution Control: Forests act as bio-filters. They absorb PM2.5, PM10, sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide and other pollutants, improving ambient air quality.
Biodiversity Reservoirs: Even small urban forests host migratory birds, butterflies, and small mammals. Delhi’s ridge alone supports over 200 species.
Water Security: Tree cover improves infiltration, boosts groundwater recharge, and reduces urban flooding by slowing surface runoff.
Mental and Social Health: Green spaces offer psychological benefits, recreational space, and community bonding in otherwise densely built environments.

3. Pressures and Challenges in Urban Forest Governance:

Despite their benefits, urban forests face multiple threats:

Encroachment for Infrastructure: Forests are cleared for roads, metro lines, housing, and commercial complexes under Smart City and development schemes.
Fragmented Governance: Urban forests often fall into a jurisdictional vacuum, where municipal bodies, forest departments, and real estate authorities conflict over authority.
No Legal Identity: Many urban forests are not officially notified as protected land, leaving them vulnerable to land-use changes and reclassification.
Public Apathy: Low awareness among urban residents makes it easier for authorities to sanction diversions without resistance.
Weak Enforcement: Environmental regulations, even when invoked, are poorly monitored or bypassed through procedural loopholes.

4. Key Interventions by Government and Judiciary:

Several efforts have been made at both policy and judicial levels to safeguard urban green spaces:

Nagar Van Yojana (2020): Aims to create 1,000 urban forests by 2027. As of 2023, over 145 sq km of green cover has been generated. However, follow-through and protection post-development remain weak.
Smart Cities Mission: Encourages cities to integrate green infrastructure. However, implementation varies widely.
Judicial Interventions:
- Delhi Ridge (1996): SC declared it an eco-sensitive zone, stopping encroachments.
- Aarey Colony (Mumbai): Bombay HC and citizen activism protected the forest from metro yard construction.
- Kancha Gachibowli (2024): SC admonished Telangana for land-use misrepresentation, reinforcing the need for state accountability.

5. Strategic Way Forward for India’s Cities:

To institutionalise protection of urban forests, India must pursue a multi-dimensional strategy:

Legal Notification: Recognise urban forests under state forest laws or via new legal frameworks for Urban Ecological Zones (UEZ).
Masterplan Integration: Urban forests must be part of city masterplans with zoning protection, prohibiting non-forestry usage.
Community Stewardship: Encourage citizens to adopt, protect, and co-manage local forests. Promote forest literacy and green citizen charters.
Institutional Reform: Establish Urban Forest Cells or Forest Authorities within ULBs to manage planning, protection, and restoration.
Technology for Monitoring: Use satellite imaging and GIS to map, audit, and prevent encroachments in real time.
Green Incentives: Offer FAR/FSI bonuses to developers maintaining forest buffers and meeting green compliance norms.

6. Conclusion:

India’s cities are approaching ecological tipping points. Urban forests offer a ready-made, cost-effective, and equitable solution to many of our urban problems – from rising temperatures and air pollution to mental health and biodiversity loss. Protecting them is not merely about saving trees; it is about saving our urban future.

India must move from reactive activism to proactive governance, ensuring urban forests are treated not as real estate liabilities but as ecological assets. The forests we save today will be the foundations of our sustainable, liveable, and resilient cities tomorrow.