Audit reveals no STPs at 13 housing societies in Noida

NOIDA: The Noida Authority has initiated action after more than a dozen group housing projects
in Noida which do not have a functional sewerage treatment plant (STP) on their premises.
The Noida Authority, which recently conducted an exhaustive audit of group housing societies,
found that of the 95 apartment complexes, which have been completely or partially occupied, 13
were yet to make arrangements to treat the wastewater generated by their residents.
Chief executive officer of the authority, Ritu Maheshwari said, “Of the 13 societies, one is under
construction. Among the remaining 12, we have taken disciplinary action against the eight
projects. The people managing these complexes have given us in writing when they will get the
STP operational.”

Four societies, officials said, have moved the Supreme Court against the Authority’s directives
and their matter will be decided accordingly. The remaining eight societies have sought time up
to January 11 next year to set up an STP.
An officer from the authority’s water and sewerage department said that in some cases
developers had stepped back from their responsibilities and were putting the onus on the
residents to pool in the money. “But we ordered the seizure of the marketing office and leftover
unsold units. That put pressure on the developers and they agreed to set up the STP plant,” the
officer said.
Assotech Windsor Court in Sector 78, officials said, is one such complex that has been given
time up to January 10, 2022, to get the STP operational. The project has been planned with 740
units out of which 460 are ready and occupied.
Sachin Malik, the president of the Windsor Court residents’ welfare association, said, “As the
society has not been handed over yet, no apartment owners association is active. However,
more than 450 flats have been sold to families. After several rounds of deliberations, the
construction group agreed to install the STP and work is going on. We had to petition the Noida
Authority and other senior officials to fix the responsibility on the developer.”
Noida Authority, meanwhile, has to submit its response to the National Green Tribunal on
November 26 and inform its principal bench in New Delhi about the steps it has taken to
intercept the wastewater before it is channelised into the drains.
This comes after a resident of Sector 137 had moved the tribunal in November 2018 to highlight
how sewer waste was being discharged in the irrigation canal that passes through the Kondli
village. Later, it was found out that untreated wastewater was being discharged across 30 drains
in the town. The tribunal had ordered the authority to take steps and ensure that only treated
water is channelised into the drains. Subsequently, a review of all the group housing projects
was ordered and was carried out over the past year and a half.