New NGT order might further hit construction schedules at Noida Extn

150-200 projects under construction have already been delayed by 2-3 years due to land acquisition issues

Home buyers in Noida Extension, across the Delhi border, might get caught in more delay, this time over the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order asking developers to halt construction activity unless in line with ecology norms.

About 150 to 200 projects are under construction in the region, by sectoral estimates.The projects are already delayed by two to three years, due to land acquisition issues. The latest NGT order might mean more delay, developers said. However, when asked, they say they already follow the required environmental norms. Geetamber Anand, head of the ATS group of developers and also of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India, said: “Most of the developers follow the norms.’’ Stopping the construction, he said, would mean the most suffering for buyers.

Supertech chairman and managing director R K Arora, whose company's projects are spread across the National Capital Region, primarily Noida and Gurgaon, said: “A developer has to take environmental clearance before starting a project and every six months we have to submit a compliance report to the environment ministry.”

Consultants, however, say very few developers comply with more than a few of the mandated requirements.

According to the rules, developers can’t store construction material on roads, have to install sprinklers to control dust pollution and have to put tarpaulins around the area of construction. Also, green  barriers have to be put around the construction area and protective masks given to construction workers.