Noida authority recalls order to seal clubhouses in four societies after residents' stir

Noida authority recalls order to seal clubhouses in four societies after residents’ stir

NOIDA: In the wake of brewing resentment among residents, the Noida Authority has decided to recall its order of shutting clubhouses in some apartment complexes in the city.

During this week, the Authority had taken coercive action against 17 societies and clamped down on their clubhouses over the absence of (or non-functional) sewerage treatment plants (STPs). On Wednesday, however, it took back the sealing order issued against four societies.

Explaining the reason behind the drive, an official said that the National Green Tribunal had given directions to the Authority while hearing petitions in June and July 2019.
In response, the Authority submitted a detailed action plan last September. It told the tribunal that it will inspect 95 group housing societies and file a status report after evaluating the response of the STPs. However, citing Covid-outbreak, the officials sought additional time to carry out the exercise.

During the year-long review exercise, which culminated recently, the Authority found STPs in only 68 societies to be functional. As many as 27 societies were issued notices as either they had no STP or the one installed was not functional or was of lower capacity. Among them, action against 17 apartment complexes was initiated this week.

To put pressure on developers of the projects, the authority decided to seal their clubhouses and offices. The 17 projects that have faced action include Gaur Grandeur (Sector 119), Assotech Windsor Court (Sector 78), Golf City (Sector 75), Gardenia India (Sector 75), Aims Max Gardenia (Sector 75), AVP Buildtech (Sector 77), Ananya (Sector 119), Gardenia Grace (Sector 61), Prateek Fedora (Sector 61), Marvel Homes (Sector 61), Antriksh Nature (Sector 52), Sikka Karnam Greens (Sector 143B), Divine Meadows (Sector 108), Jalvayu Tower (Sector 47), Eldeco Ananda (Sector 48), Futech Shelters Eco City (Sector 75) and RG Residency (Sector 120).

Rajiva Singh, the president of Noida Federation of Apartment Owners Associations, along with a group of other residents met the CEO of the Authority on Wednesday. He said, “The sealing of clubhouses will cause inconvenience to residents. Also, some of these societies were completed and handed over to the apartment owners’ associations almost a decade back. The Authority had inspected such societies and issued completion certificates. The builders have no stake left in such projects and the burden of setting up STPs cannot be passed on to the flat owners now. That is why we opposed the move.”

CEO Ritu Maheshwari directed officials to remove the seals that were put at the clubhouses in societies where AOA was formed long back. Three among them (Gardenia Grace, Marvel Homes and Prateek Fedora) are located in Sector 61 while Antriksh Nature is in Sector 52.

Maheshwari said, “In societies where RWAs or AOAs have got total control of day-to-day administration, the clubhouse will not be sealed.” The authority had issued a warning to the developers last week and asked them to sort out pending issues before seeking a completion certificate. The Authority has granted a total completion certificate to 45 group housing societies out of the 116 that have been planned in the city. Also, 50 other projects have been granted partial completion certificates.

In projects where a partial completion certificate has been granted, the developers have a scope of generating revenues through operations of clubhouses and hence authority decided to seal them down.