NOIDA: Noida Authority has filed a police complaint against the apartment welfare association (AOA) of Supertech Cape Town in Sector 74 for dumping untreated sewage in the drain running through the sector.
According to National Green Tribunal (NGT) guidelines, highrise societies must have functional sewage treatment plants (STPs) on the premises.
RP Singh, general manager (Jal), Noida Authority, said that inspections were conducted at the society on Friday, and it was found that the STP was not working as per the prescribed standard.
“We found that untreated sewage was directly dumped in the drain. This is affecting the underground water and also the public health of local residents. This is also affecting the structure of the condominium,” Singh said.
Dumping untreated water like this is a violation of NGT orders, and the pollution department has imposed around Rs 35.8 crore in fines for various violations on the society in the past, the official added.
Following the Authority’s complaint, an FIR was registered against the AOA under BNS Section 272 (malignant acts likely to spread infection of a disease dangerous to life) at the Sector 113 police station.
However, the society’s AOA president, Arun Kumar, called the FIR unjust. “The developer started giving possession to home buyers in this society from 2015. Nearly 4,419 people got completion certificates in this society. The AOA was formed in 2019. However, the developer handed over the society’s management with an incomplete STP,” he said.
Previously, the AOA has written to the developer urging them to complete the project, and have also informed the Noida Authority of this issue.
Meanwhile, a Supertech spokesperson said that the company handed over the project to the AOA as per the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT).
In 2022, the NGT found that only 76 of the 95 highrise societies in the city had STPs installed on the premises. However, many of those were not working as per prescribed standards.
A recent RTI reply revealed that 43 group housing societies in the city lack the mandatory consent to operate (CTO) for their STPs. Previously, the Noida Authority has filed police complaints against nine other condominiums for STP norm violations.
