In a development that may affect more than 3,000 proposed housing units in various sectors across the city, the Noida authority has asked eight developers to stop construction as they have not taken mandatory environmental clearances from the state authorities.
The areas, where these projects are proposed include Sectors 107, 108, 110, 137, 143 and 143B. About 90 per cent of these housing units are booked.

The authority’s action came after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) last month imposed a ban on the extraction of groundwater by builders in Gautam Budh Nagar district.

On Friday, the authority told the NGT that it had directed eight builders to halt construction immediately for violating environmental norms. The tribunal on January 11, while hearing a PIL pertaining to groundwater misuse by builders, had directed both the Noida and Greater Noida authorities to ensure that no developer extract groundwater for construction.

“After the NGT order, we conducted a survey across the city. On February 6, we issued notices to eight builders asking them to halt construction. These builders have not taken environmental clearances from the officials concerned,” said a senior Noida authority official.

The NGT has extended the ban on groundwater extraction by developers till February 28, the next date of hearing in the case.

A bench headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar said, “It is clear that the groundwater is not only being wasted, used unauthorisedly. Even serious problems such as water pollution and scarcity of water are being generated in Noida and Greater Noida.”