41 of 63 builders in Greater Noida found using groundwater, NGT told

A few realtors have claimed that they do not extract groundwater and instead use the treated water from Greater Noida authority, Noida authority, or private suppliers. Tribunal has ordered that these claims be looked into and a report submitted within eight weeks

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has intensified its scrutiny of illegal groundwater extraction by builders in Greater Noida West, following a joint committee’s report that 41 of 63 projects in Greater Noida were found using groundwater.

In 2023, as many as 33 group housing societies were found to be allegedly extracting groundwater illegally in Greater Noida West. An environmental compensation of ₹306 crore was also levied by the committee on the errant developers. (HT Archive)

The tribunal’s scrutiny comes amid growing concerns over the depletion of groundwater in the region owing to rampant extraction by the real estate sector.

While hearing the matter on February 4, the NGT directed the Greater Noida authority and the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) to verify claims made by developers regarding their use of treated sewage plant (STP) water instead of groundwater.

The tribunal also gave developers who have not yet provided details on their water sources an additional week to submit their affidavits.

According to the NGT, some realtors have claimed that they do not extract groundwater and instead use the treated water from Greater Noida authority, Noida authority, or private suppliers. However, the tribunal emphasized the need for a thorough investigation to verify these claims by builders.

An NGT bench, comprising chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member Dr Afroz Ahmad, said, “It has been pointed out that factual status with respect to 63 projects has been examined by a joint committee, out of which 41 projects have been found to be using groundwater and 22 projects have not been found to be using groundwater. It has been submitted that these project proponents received STP-treated water either from the Greater Noida authority, the Noida authority, or private suppliers.”

It directed the Greater Noida authority and UPPCB to verify the disclosures made by realtors regarding their source of supply and submit a report to the tribunal within eight weeks.

The bench further said, “Those project proponents who have not filed details of the source, quantity, and period of receipt of STP-treated water and other sources of raw water shall have an opportunity to submit it through an affidavit within a week.”

The petition was filed by Greater Noida resident and environmentalist Pradeep Dahaliya before the , NGT in 2022, alleging that builders in Greater Noida West were engaged in indiscriminate groundwater extraction for construction purposes since a long time.

“Identifying the actual sources of water will clarify whether the projects are genuinely using STP-treated water or drawing groundwater. This verification is crucial to ensure transparency and accountability in water usage”, said the petitioner.

The matter has been listed for the next hearing on April 28, 2025.

A joint committee meeting, under the chairmanship of district magistrate Manish Kumar Verma, and attended by officials of the groundwater department, Greater Noida authority and UPPCB was held in June 2024, where the local government bodies were asked to assess the environmental compensation to be levied on the developers for illegally extracting groundwater.

In 2023, as many as 33 group housing societies were found to be allegedly extracting groundwater illegally in Greater Noida West. An environmental compensation of ₹306 crore was also levied by the committee on the errant developers.