July 12, 2024: The Noida Authority’s groundwater department has fined six developers Rs 5 lakh each for illegally extracting groundwater for construction purposes. An FIR has been registered against six projects (Uniexcel Developers, Montree Attire, Jam Vision Tech, King Paceinformation, Vextec Condominium, Motherson Sumi Infotech & Design) at Knowledge Park police station under the Uttar Pradesh Groundwater (Management and Regulation) Act, 2019.
The illegal dewatering is being conducted through pumping for group housing projects, with the identified sites located in sectors 153, 154, and 156. Inspection teams are being dispatched to verify the suspension of dewatering operations at these sites, and further inspections are ongoing to identify additional violators. Legal action will be taken against similar offenders, and the Noida Authority has the right to cancel allocations of builders who continue to exploit groundwater.
Notably, Noida’s groundwater level has significantly declined due to limited rainfall and water recharge. Between 2017 and 2023, the groundwater level dropped by 9.9 metre post-monsoon and 8.5 metre pre-monsoon. In 2023, the pre-monsoon groundwater level fell to 22.5 metre from 14 metre in 2017, while the post-monsoon level dropped from 13.1 metre in 2017 to 23 metre in 2023.
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