Gr Noida freezes water tariffs for 2026, decides against annual hike

Officials said nearly ₹290 crore remains pending across categories, including group housing societies and residential units

The Greater Noida authority board has frozen water tariffs this year and also decided against the routine 10% annual increase for the first time since 2013-14, officials aware of the matter said.

The board also approved a one-time settlement (OTS) scheme for clearing water bill dues, offering graded interest waivers of up to 40% for early payments. (HT Archive)

The move follows repeated representations from residents and RWAs over rising household costs.

“We received consistent feedback from residents regarding the annual increase. Considering this, a proposal was placed before the board and it has been approved. This will provide direct relief to allottees,” said chief executive officer NG Ravi Kumar.

The board also approved a one-time settlement (OTS) scheme for clearing water bill dues, offering graded interest waivers of up to 40% for early payments. Officials said nearly ₹290 crore remains pending across categories, including group housing societies and residential units.

“In order to encourage settlement of long-pending dues, the OTS has been structured with phased incentives. We expect this to improve recovery while also easing the burden on allottees,” Ravi Kumar said.

In a separate relief measure, flat buyers in authority-built housing projects — particularly in the smallest flats of economically weaker sections up to mid-sized units of 135 square metres — have been offered significant waivers on delayed payment penalties and lease deed charges under another OTS scheme. Officials said the move is aimed at expediting registrations and resolving pending cases.

The decisions build on progress under the state’s legacy stalled projects policy, under which over 40,000 flats have already been registered in Greater Noida so far, according to authority data.

The board also addressed high-rise fire safety, approving the purchase of 102m hydraulic platforms to improve firefighting capabilities in tall buildings.

“With the increase in high-rise development, there is a need to strengthen emergency response systems. These platforms will significantly improve our capacity to respond to fire incidents in taller buildings,” the CEO said.

Officials said the mix of relief and compliance measures comes as Greater Noida prepares for increased activity and population growth, fuelled by the Noida International Airport.

Other decisions included a marginal 3.58% increase in land allotment rates, plans for a 220 kV substation in Ecotech-10, and a proposal to engage IIT Delhi for a traffic decongestion plan in and around Pari Chowk.

Beyond the key relief measures, the board also cleared a wider set of proposals spanning public transport, institutional infrastructure and emerging sustainability initiatives, signalling a multi-pronged development push.