Groundwater extraction: NGT acts tough, 14 builders get notice

Unauthorised harnessing of groundwater for construction purposes has caught the National Green Tribunal's attention which has issued notice to 14 builders in Delhi-NCR for extracting water flouting rules.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar passed the order after perusing inspection reports filed by the local commissioners who conducted surprise visits on construction sites in Delhi-NCR and found serious impropriety in relation to use of water.
The construction projects which have been issued notice include -- BPTP Ltd, Sector-94, Noida; Sunshine Trade Tower Pvt Ltd; J C World Hospitality Pvt Ltd; Wish Town, Sector-128, Noida; Assotech Reality Pvt Ltd; Three C Properties Private Limited, D-107, Pancheel Enclave, New Delhi; Sikka KG One, Sector-98, Noida.

Other projects include -- Silicon City Pvt Ltd; Mahagun India Pvt Ltd; Gaur Sons Hitech Infrastructure Pvt Ltd Pancheel Greens-II, Greater Noida West; Kbnows Nirman Ltd JMC Projects (India) Ltd; Era Infra Engineers Ltd and ASF Insignia, SEZ, Gwal Pahari in Gurgaon.
The green panel has also directed Central Ground Water Authority, Central Pollution Control Board, pollution monitoring bodies of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, Noida Authority, Haryana Development Authority and Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority to constitute different teams comprising senior officers from each organisation.
"These inspecting teams shall inspect all major construction projects in Delhi, Gurgaon, NOIDA/Greater NOIDA and Faridabad and they shall report to the Tribunal," the bench said.

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 real estate developers in Noida have been extracting groundwater using borewells for construction purposes instead of using water from the sewage treatment plants.