Noida authority tell four societies to repair STPs by Feb 15 or OCs will be cancelled

NOIDA: The Noida Authority has issued notices to the developers of four group housing societies across sectors 75, 76 and 78 over non-functioning sewage treatment plants (STPs), asking them to rectify the situation by February 15, or else face the cancellation of the occupation certificates (OC).

The developers concerned are Assotech Windsor Court, Skytech Construction Pvt Ltd, Gardenia India Ltd and Futec Shelters Pvt Ltd , and the non-functional STPs they operate are in housing societies in sectors 78, 76, 75 and 78, respectively. The move comes following the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) survey of STPs across 95 group housing societies in the city last year.

The survey found 72 functional STPs, with samples from 55 not as per standards and to undergo resampling as per the board. Meanwhile, the survey found four apartment complexes, now facing OC cancellation, without functional STPs. The survey came after an National Green Tribunal (NGT) order. “Following an NGT order from July last year over the Kondli drain matter, we surveyed STPs across 95 group housing societies to check if their functioning is as per laid-down standards. During the survey, we found functional STPs at 72 group housing societies, but the water treatment at 55 STPs was not as per the standards.

Four group housing societies had non-functional STPs. We submitted our report to the NGT and the Noida Authority on November 23 last year,” Praveen Kumar, regional officer UPPCB, GB Nagar, said. Based on the UPPCB survey, the Noida Authority has served the notices now.
“The CEO, Noida Authority, held a review meeting earlier this week, where she came to know about the non-functional STPs of the four group housing societies in sectors 75, 76 and 78. She then directed strict action in the case of noncompliance with the NGT guidelines by February 15. The CEO directed the planning department to initiate the OC cancellation procedure in these cases after February 15,” said RP Singh, deputy general manager (DGM), water and sewer department, Noida Authority.

The STPs at the group housing complexes are used to clean the water from the apartments, using physical, chemical and biological methods to make it reusable. All group housing societies are required to have functional STPs for treating water, used later in common areas and horticulture. The STPs help to check groundwater extraction and usage by societies.

The process of cleaning the contaminated water involves three stages—separating the solid matter, separating the organic matter and then cleaning the water left.