Did you know Delhi NCR has 6 forests? On top of this Delhi was set to get 6 new city forests by March 2019 Next time the city is getting to you, just drive down to one of these and forget the concrete jungle even exists. In a real forest, the only congestion you’ll find will be of the colour green. Even that comes in a million shades!
1. Sanjay Van
The birds make this place feel like a whole other world. Purple sunbird to Indian silverbill and the grey-breasted prinia, they all set up camp in these dense woods stretched over 783 acres of land. That’s a lot of green waiting for your next breakdown, what’s it going to take to get you to make the most of this city, anyway?
Where: Vasant Kunj-Mehrauli
2. Jahanpana City Forest
This one is for the walkers. There’s a mosque, a road connecting main Saket BRT road to GK 2 colonies and Neelgai. The forest begins its own hustle every morning with visitors and walkers that leave only at dusk. It’s looks busy at first sight, but if you allow yourself to explore the 435 acres, it will whisper sweet nothings in quiet places.
Where: Chirag Delhi
3. Rajokri Protected Forest
Dilliwale can peel oranges anywhere under the sun during winter. A forest then, is the perfect location for family bonding over citrus gossip. The forest’s thorny shrubs fit well with harsh truths too. Small villages and fields coexist with the forest as part and parcel of green gifts. The whole package transports you to the wild and the country, all at once.
Where: Rajokri
4. Southern Ridge Forest / Tughlaqabad Ridge Forest
Were you impressed by Sanjay Van’s 783 acres? Well, this forest claims 15,320 acres of land in Delhi near the Bhatti mines. The Asola Wildlife Sanctuary is inside this forest. It protects 193 species of birds, 80 species of butterflies and more species of flora we can count. Animals like blue bull, blackbuck, black-naped hare, porcupine, civets, jackals and jungle cats thrive in this ecosystem.
Where: Sardar Patel Marg
Also read: Over 60% Trees Transplanted By Mumbai Metro From Aarey Forest Are Dead
5. Old Delhi / Northern Ridge
Khooni Jheel is an 80-feet deep pond where several Indian sepoys and British soldiers, women and children died in 1857. Now it is Delhi’s haunted lake inside a beautiful forest next to the home of DU students and Majnu Ka Tilla. Find out about the 6 most haunted places in Delhi. In 1915, 420 acres of the area was declared as a reserved forest. Now, less than half of it survives at all.
Where: Adjacent to North Campus
6. Mangar Bani Forest
This 250-acre land is the last patch of untouched forest remaining in Delhi NCR. Villagers protecting the forest are responsible for its life. The Aravalli range surrounds its lush green pathways. The forest earned its glory as a result of the commitment of a hermit whose teachings still guide village people to protect and conserve their lungs. A Manipur man replanted 300 acres of forest, so can we!
Where: Faridabad-Gurgaon highway
Also read: Villagers Of Bihar Turn Barren Land Into Lush Green Forest
Delhi’s thick layer or all kinds of pollutants can make a decent person want to give up and run. When that time comes, just do the next right thing and run to these forests. That’s the Frozen motto and it’s good enough for us too. If Elsa and Anna can save a magic forest from a curse by doing the next right thing, so can we!