The Allahabad High Court has brought the Noida Authority under judicial scrutiny, demanding a thorough explanation regarding the issuance of occupancy certificates (OCs) to the Lotus Boulevard project in Sector 100. This legal intervention comes in response to serious allegations that these crucial certificates, which signify a building is fit for habitation, were granted despite the mandatory sewage treatment infrastructure being incomplete.
The court’s action was prompted by a writ petition filed by the apartment owners’ association of Lotus Boulevard. They contend that when the OCs were issued in 2012 and 2016, the project lacked the fully functional sewage treatment plants (STPs) required by law. According to the residents’ association, the project was mandated to have four STPs to handle the waste generated by the society. However, they allege that at the time the occupancy certificates were granted, only one and a half of these plants had been partially constructed, leaving the residents to deal with an inadequate sewage system.
In a firm directive, the High Court has instructed the Noida Authority to submit a detailed affidavit to clarify the situation. The court has specifically asked the Authority to provide a comprehensive account of the number of STPs that were required for the project, the precise status of their construction at the moment the OCs were handed over, and to identify the officials who were responsible for verifying the completion of this essential infrastructure before giving their approval.
While the Noida Authority maintains that all necessary approvals were granted in strict compliance with the prevailing rules and regulations, the High Court’s demand for a detailed report suggests a need for greater transparency and accountability. This case is not an isolated incident but part of a wider crackdown by the Noida Authority itself on numerous housing societies found to have non-functional STPs. In recent times, the Authority has taken punitive action, including filing First Information Reports (FIRs) and imposing significant fines, against several other residential complexes for similar violations. The ongoing legal battle for Lotus Boulevard highlights the critical importance of ensuring that all infrastructural requirements are met before developers are allowed to hand over possession of properties, safeguarding the rights and living conditions of homeowners.
Source :- Reality ET