After HC order, illegal helipad at Jaypee Greens in Greater Noida demolished

The Greater Noida authority on Friday dismantled the hangars of an “illegally” run helipad facility at the Jaypee Greens luxury residential project, right in the heart of the city, and also directed Jaypee Greens, a division of Jaiprakash Associates Limited (JAL), to stop the illegal construction being carried out on the golf course land within the upscale Jaypee Greens project.

The helipad demolition and direction to stop the illegal construction came in response to a fresh order issued by the Allahabad high court on November 3, directing the Greater Noida authority to act on two separate pleas filed by Jaypee Greens residents’ welfare association. While one plea, filed in February 2021, highlighted the illegal construction on golf the course land, the second plea, filed in August 2021, sought a direction to demolish a helipad and \MRO facility functioning out of Jaypee Greens.

“We had to demolish the helipad in accordance with the Allahabad high court order as the helipad had come up within Jaypee Greens in violation of the sanctioned map. We are also looking into the illegal constructions on the golf course land,” said Ritu Maheshwari, chief executive officer, Greater Noida authority.

when contacted over phone, JAL vice-president Ashok Khera said, “There was no operational helipad at Jaypee Greens; it was a temporary construction that has been demolished. The allegation of illegal construction on the golf course land is untrue.”

Khera refused to answer any other questions and disconnected the phone.

Jaypee Greens RWA, in its plea before the high court, alleged that JAL runs the helipad and also a maintenance, repair and operation (MRO) facility right in the middle of residential buildings and these installations posed a safety risk to residents. The residents also alleged that JAL destroyed around 50 acres of golf course land by building illegal structures there — the construction of commercial towers is still underway before the authority halted it on Friday.

“In the original sanctioned layout, the total Golf Course area was 193.5 acres and that has reduced to 144 acres due to illegal construction, which has also destroyed the flora and fauna and the green space. Despite multiple complaints to the authority, no action was not taken and the high court had to step in,” said Shubh Gautam, member of Jaypee Greens residents’ welfare association.

The Allahabad high court on November 22, 2021, directed the Greater Noida authority to act on the residents’ complaint filed on February 19, 2021, and termed the JAL construction on golf course land as an “exercise undertaken for destroying the golf course, motivated by an element of unjust enrichment, depriving the petitioner of their existing rights”.