NOIDA: Residents of a few towers in ATS One Hamlet, a residential society in Sector 104, have complained of noise and air pollution from a sewage treatment plant (STP) located on the premises of the Maharshi Mahesh Yogi Ashram Trust, adjoining the society.In a complaint submitted to the chief minister’s office on March 16, the apartment owners’ association (AOA) alleged that the STP, located on the plot adjacent to the society’s residential towers 2, 3 and 4, was discharging untreated or partially treated wastewater into the open, which flows into the green belt and accumulates in the form of stagnant pools. “The discharged water is black, frothy and emits a strong odour,” the letter reads, seeking inspection by concerned authorities and immediate remedial steps.Talking to TOI, the AOA president Sanjeev Varma said that if the water spilling from the STP is treated water, it should have been reused in accordance with pollution control norms instead of being allowed to flow in the open. He added that repeated attempts to raise the issue with the ashram authorities did not yield any resolution.Verma added, “There are huge motors operating round the clock in the STP, and since they are not covered, it results in noise pollution, making it difficult for people living in nearby towers to sleep at night.”Responding to the allegations, the ashram management denied any wrongdoing and attributed the situation to the closure of an old drainage system. Srikant Ojha, director (agriculture and security) at the ashram, said a drain that existed for more than four decades was closed following a complaint by the residential society, leaving no outlet for the treated water.He maintained that the STP releases only treated wastewater and does not pose any environmental hazard. On the question of reuse, Ojha said the ashram’s agricultural land is located far from the site, making it difficult to utilise the treated water.The dispute between the two sides is not new. In March 2024, the AOA approached the National Green Tribunal (NGT), alleging illegal tree felling and construction activity on a plot designated as a green belt in the Noida master plan. The complainant had alleged that several trees were cut without prior approval from the competent authority.The ashram denied these allegations as well, stating that a forest department inspection found no violations and that no trees were felled without due permission. Ojha said the matter is currently under consideration before the tribunal and the findings will clarify whether any norms were breached.
