Water extraction by builders in Noida: NGT seeks info on STPs

The National Green Tribunal today directed New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (NOIDA) to apprise it about the capacity of sewage treatment plants (STPs) from which it supplies water to all the builders for use in construction purposes.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swantanter Kumar also sought details of water produced from STP and the amount of water purchased from the NOIDA Authority in last one year.
The authority "shall also submit an affidavit before the Tribunal as to what is the capacity of STPs and from where its supplying water to all the builders along with statistics for last one year of water generated for utilisation, water actually purchased and where the remnant water is discharged," the bench said while posting the matter for further hearing on February 10.

The Tribunal was hearing the plea of Noida resident Vikrant Kumar Tongad who has alleged that real estate developers were withdrawing ground water in violation of its orders.
Tongad said that the underground water situation has reached critical dimensions in Noida and Greater Noida and there is also a serious water pollution problem there.
"The authorities concerned claim that there is sufficient STP water while the developers say that most of STPs are non-functional in Noida and Greater Noida, hence they are compelled to extract groundwater," Tongad said.
On January 11, 2013, the bench had restrained all builders in Noida and Greater Noida from "extracting" ground water for construction or any other purpose.