A silent revolution is underway at the Asola-Bhatti sanctuary. Till a few years back, it was just another part of the southern Delhi Ridge. It was rocky and hard, almost devoid of soil and barren, supporting only some thorny shrubs. The story begins about 10 years back when Asola - Bhatti was declared a reserve forest. 'Years of over-grazing and the pressure of villages in the Bhatti area had completely denuded the natural forest cover. Mining was rampant and Asola was a source of building minerals', says conservator of forests S S Garbyal. Now the forest got a chance to revive. And in the last few years, it has shown remarkable improvement.