Noida registers FIRs against 7 housing projects for green rules violations

NOIDA: The Noida authority has filed first information reports (FIRs) against seven housing projects found violating the national green tribunal (NGT) rules related to treatment of the waste inside their campuses, officials said on Tuesday, adding that six of the projects have also been fined ₹1.15 crore in total for not treating their waste according to the rules inside the campus of these housing complexes.

The FIRs have been filed by the authority’s water works department against the seven housing societies -- RG Residency in Sector 120, Sikka Karmik Greens in Sector 78, Granite Gate Properties private limited (Lotus Boulevard) in Sector 100, Purvanchal Royal Park in Sector 137, Aims Max Gardenia Golf Ecocity in Sector 75, Prateek Buildtech private limited (Prateek Stylome) in Sector 45, and Amrapali Silicon City in Sector 76.

“Noida authority’s environmental and water works teams during the site inspection found that these (societies) have not set up effluent treatment plants of adequate capacity to treat their waste in violation of the NGT norms. And these societies are also dumping their wastewater into the storm water drains without treating the same as per the rules. These societies were violating the environmental rules continuously despite repeated warnings and directions to comply with the rules,” said Lokesh M, chief executive officer of the Noida authority.

These societies were found violating the provisions of the water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) act 1974, air (prevention and control of pollution) act-1981 and also the provisions of the solid waste management rules-2000 and 2016.

The authority has also informed the Uttar Pradesh regional pollution control board officials about this violation for a suitable action against the management of these societies.

“We have filed FIR as per the provisions of the NGT orders so that the action can be initiated against the management of these societies and the measures to protect the environment can be taken,” said a Noida authority official.

The Noida authority’s environment cell has imposed penalties against six societies excluding one as per the scale of the violations. It has imposed ₹11 lakh penalty against RG Residency society, ₹20 lakh against Sikka Karmik, ₹18 lakh against Purvanchal Royal Park, ₹29 lakh against Aims Max Gardenia Golf Ecocity, ₹18 lakh against Prateek Buildtech private limited (Prateek Stylome) and ₹19 lakh against Amrapali Silicon City.

In every FIR, the authority has requested to register the FIR as per the NGT rules because these have been found violating the water act, the air act, and solid waste management rules thereby causing damage to the ecology.

Meanwhile, the apartment owners associations of these societies, said they are adhering to all the laid down rules and treating the waste and sewer as per the prevailing rules.

“Some time back a 10-member team of Noida authority conducted a site inspection at our ETP (effluent treatment plant) … They said that our society was adhering to the norms, and our ETP was working fine. We are not aware why they have imposed penalties and acted against us despite compliance with all rules. And other societies, where rules are being violated, are facing no action,” said Girish Bansal, president of apartment owners association of Prateek Stylome.

NP Singh, president of the Gautam Budh Nagar RWAs, a citizens group said, “The Noida authority must organise workshops for the apartment owners associations and residents’ welfare associations about the national green tribunal rules so that they comply as per the law.”