Noida: An in-depth water study and audit of Noida Golf Course and Candor STP in Sector 135, ordered by NGT, remains stalled after UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) told the tribunal it cannot pay IIT Delhi’s Rs 42 lakh consultancy fee. The study concerns alleged overexploitation of groundwater in a case pending since 2019.On Monday, NGT heard two applications – Mahesh Chandra Saxena Vs State of UP and others-2019 and Vikrant Tongad Vs State of UP and others-2020 – concerning overexploitation of groundwater by the Golf Course and M/s Candor. UPPCB regional officer Ritesh Kumar Tewari informed the tribunal that the Pollution Control Board headquarters in Lucknow has refused to pay the consultancy charges.A July 16 NGT order allowed IIT Delhi to conduct a detailed survey in the matter, following which professor Atul Kumar Mittal of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at IIT-D wrote to the UPPCB regional office informing it that the detailed study and water audit would involve manpower mobilisation, field survey, sampling and laboratory analysis and other resources over a compressed timeline. The survey would incur consultancy charges of Rs 42 lakh with 18% GST.Explaining the scope of work involved, Mittal said that an independent water audit of the Noida Golf Course and of the STP in Candor’s site in Sector 135 requires metering and abstraction records, end uses, water balance and reuse of treated effluent.“Independent performance evaluation of the sewage treatment plant at Candor, sampling and laboratory analysis to verify the water and effluent quality data furnished by the Noida Golf Course, groundwater quality and quantity survey in and around the two premises, including inventory of borewells and piezometers, measurement of water levels, assessment of abstraction, and groundwater sampling and analysis besides site surveys, review of records and documents, data compilation and preparation of the report for filing before the tribunal through the joint committee,” the letter read.The need for a water audit arose after UPPCB failed to assess and recover compensation for groundwater extraction, despite the NGT order dated Sept 21, 2019. The audit is required to ascertain the extent of use and replenishment of groundwater in the last three years. The tribunal, in its order, said that the joint committee, with an additional representative of CPCB and IIT-Delhi, may also assess compensation to be paid.Responding to the IIT-D letter, chief environment officer of circle-1 Radhe Shyam clarified that the board is not in a position to pay for the consultancy charges as the NGT order is silent in the matter.“It is noteworthy that in the matter in question, NGT has not ordered the board to provide consultancy funds in favour of IIT-Delhi. It is not possible for the board to provide the required funds for the work proposed. It is therefore requested that in compliance with the orders given by the tribunal, IIT-Delhi may kindly complete the proposed work and submit a report,” the state PCB letter reads.
