Bhubaneswar apartment realtor slapped with Rs 3.5 crore demand notice for ‘groundwater theft’

The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has issued a show cause and demand notice of Rs 3.5 crore to a realtor towards an environmental compensation fee for allegedly extracting groundwater in Bhubaneswar without obtaining due permission from the authorities. 

As a result of the illegal extraction of groundwater, residents of a prominent city apartment are reportedly looking at a possible water scarcity. The show-cause notice was issued to the realtor in April 2024 for the housing project in Kalinga Nagar. The notice stated that groundwater was extracted without obtaining NOC from the concerned authorities.

"It has been brought to the notice of Authority that Trident Galaxy Phase-1, Paikarapur, Bhubaneswar, Khordha of M/s Trident Properties Pvt Ltd, is withdrawing ground water without obtaining NOC from the Authority, This illegal withdrawal of ground water amounts to theft of ground water. Now therefore, the Authority in exercise of powers under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 hereby directs you to show cause as why your ground water ‘abstraction structure(s) (dugwell/borewell/tubewell dewatering structure) should not be seated for illegal withdrawal of ground water," read the show-cause notice.

“You are hereby given an opportunity to submit explanation within 15 days from the date of receipt of this notice, falling which the authority shall proceed In accordance with aw, at your own risk, cost and responsibility including but not limited to sealing of ground water abstraction structures and imposition of penalty, arrear and environmental compensation for illegal withdrawal of groundwater,” the notice further read.

As per sources, a team of CGWB visited the project in May and following an inspection demanded a compensation fee of Rs 3.5 crore from the realtor for the illegal withdrawal of groundwater.

“We hereby demand that you make the necessary payments through the designated government portal “BharatKosh” within 30 days from the date of this letter. Failure to do so will leave us with no choice but to initiate legal action against your organisation to recover the unpaid charges and fees as permitted by the relevant laws and regulations,” read the demand notice.

It continued: “We urge you to treat this matter with the utmost urgency and take immediate steps to rectify the situation. We are committed to working with organisations that respect the regulations and guidelines set for groundwater abstraction and environmental protection. Your cooperation in this matter will be greatly appreciated.”