NOIDA: The Noida Authority has lodged a police complaint against the Apartment Owners Association (AOA) of Supertech Cape Town in Sector 74 for discharging untreated sewage into the sector’s drainage system.
As per the guidelines set by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), high-rise developments are required to have operational sewage treatment plants (STPs) on-site.
According to RP Singh, general manager (Jal) at the Noida Authority, inspections carried out on Friday revealed that the STP was not functioning according to the mandated standards.
“We discovered that untreated sewage was being directly released into the drain. This poses a risk to groundwater quality and public health within the community, as well as potentially harming the structure of the building,” stated Singh.
Discharging untreated wastewater is a violation of NGT regulations, and the pollution department has previously levied fines totaling approximately ₹35.8 crores on the society for various infractions, the official noted.
In response to the Authority’s complaint, a First Information Report (FIR) has been filed against the AOA under BNS Section 272, which addresses actions likely to spread infectious diseases, at the Sector 113 police station.
However, Arun Kumar, president of the society’s AOA, has called the FIR unwarranted. “The developer began handing over possession to residents in 2015, with around 4,419 individuals receiving completion certificates. The AOA was formed in 2019, but the developer transferred management with an incomplete STP,” he remarked.
In the past, the AOA has reached out to the developer requesting the completion of the project and has also notified the Noida Authority about the STP concerns.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Supertech mentioned that the project was handed over to the AOA in accordance with the directives of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT).
According to an NGT report from 2022, only 76 out of 95 high-rise societies in the city had operational STPs on their premises, with many not meeting the required standards.
A recent Right to Information (RTI) response indicated that 43 housing societies in the area lack the necessary Consent to Operate (CTO) for their STPs. Previously, the Noida Authority has filed police complaints against nine other condominiums for similar STP norm violations.
