Relief for 60,000 Noida Homebuyers as Green Zone Norms Relaxed

In a big relief for nearly 60,000 home buyers, the government on Tuesday sharply curtailed the eco-sensitive zone around the Okhla Bird Sanctuary near Noida, a move will enable several builders to resume construction in areas earlier declared as a no-construction zone.

The eco-sensitive or green zone will be applicable to an area up to 100 metres from the eastern, western and southern boundary of the sanctuary and an area up to 1.27 km from the northern boundary, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said.

The new green zone is much smaller than the 10-kilometre radius demarcated by the National Green Tribunal in 2013. The tribunal’s decision had crippled construction work across 50-55 real estate projects that fell within a 10 km radius of the sanctuary. This delayed the completion of thousands of homes in Noida by years.

The final notification about the eco-sensitive zone will come out in a week’s time, Mr Javadekar said. The notification will allow the Noida Authority to start giving completion certificates to builders, who will then begin the process of handing over apartments to buyers.