“It is our collective responsibility to keep water clean. No one can be allowed to pollute it. The builder societies in which STPs have not been made should immediately make them operational and operate them regularly and the societies in which STPs have been made but are not functional should make them functional immediately. Otherwise strict action will be taken,” GNIDA CEO NG Ravi Kumar said.
Residents of different societies had complained to the GNIDA CEO that sewerage was being discharged into the drain without being treated through STP.
In Greater Noida, it is mandatory for all the projects being built on an area of 20,000 square metres or more to build their own STP and keep it functional, the authority said.
In a GNIDA survey, some of the STPs in the 37 societies are not built as per the standards and some are not operating properly, GNIDA Additional CEO Ashutosh Dwivedi said.
“Notices have been issued to 37 builders by the sewer department. In the notice, the authority has sought clarification within a week. If a satisfactory response is not received, action will be taken as per the terms of the lease deed,” Dwivedi said. He also said builders who have not made STP in their residential projects should make STP and start it soon and operate them regularly. It is mandatory to treat the sewage as the treated water can be used for gardening, he said. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has also issued guidelines on treatment of waste water, he said.
“Heavy fines will be imposed on the societies violating the rules. Despite this, if there is no improvement, legal action will be taken in view of the orders of NGT,” the additional CEO added.