The Allahabad High Court has directed farmhouse owners and the Noida Authority to maintain status quo over disputed constructions on the Yamuna floodplain, in the latest chapter of a long-running battle between private developers and environmental regulations.
The court’s interim order, came while hearing a petition filed by 30 farmhouse owners who had challenged demolition notices served by the Noida Authority. The petitioners alleged that the notices were issued arbitrarily, targeting certain properties while allowing others to remain untouched.
The bench has now tagged the plea with a similar case from 2023, effectively consolidating judicial scrutiny of floodplain encroachments in Noida. The next hearing has been scheduled for September 24, with the court granting three weeks’ time for respondents to file their replies.
Petitioners Claim Selective Action
In their petition, the farmhouse owners argued that their properties were not in violation of ecological norms. “Our premises are located five kilometres from the riverbank, outside the High Flood Level (HFL) zone, temporary in nature, and do not obstruct river flow,” the petitioners said. They also alleged that the Noida Authority had shown “bias” by sparing certain farmhouse clusters while moving aggressively against others.
The petition is part of a larger dispute that has played out since May 2022, when the Noida Authority declared several farmhouses on the Yamuna floodplain to be illegal. Acting under the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016, the authority launched a series of demolition drives, razing nearly 125 farmhouses in its first phase.
Hundreds of objections were subsequently filed, with affected owners seeking legal relief. However, the authority has consistently maintained that no concessions would be made in areas falling within the notified floodplain.
Ongoing Legal Battle
A similar petition in 2023 had prompted the High Court to order status quo, restraining the authority from demolishing certain farmhouses in Noida’s Sector 135. The court had also asked the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) to respond, given its oversight role in river protection.
Despite these interim protections, enforcement drives continued in other pockets. Just last week, on August 26, the Noida Authority and the Uttar Pradesh irrigation department jointly demolished 23 farmhouses in Sectors 150 and 151, citing violations of floodplain norms. Officials described it as the “largest coordinated demolition” in over a year.
Environmental Angle
Environmentalists argue that unchecked construction on floodplains poses a serious threat to river ecology and exacerbates flood risks for downstream areas, including Delhi. They point to repeated warnings by the NMCG against altering the natural floodplain.
However, residents and farmhouse owners counter that the authority has failed to demarcate floodplain boundaries transparently. Many argue that they invested in properties after obtaining approvals or no-objection certificates, only to later face demolition threats.
In its latest order, the High Court directed: “List on September 24, 2025. Meanwhile, the parties shall maintain status quo as of today, and the petitioners are restrained from carrying out any further development or creating third-party interest over the disputed plots.”
This essentially means that while demolition has been paused for now, the farmhouse owners cannot undertake new construction or transfer rights until the matter is resolved.
The outcome of the case is likely to set a precedent for similar disputes across the National Capital Region (NCR), where floodplain construction has become a contentious issue. With the court consolidating petitions from 2022 and 2023 with the fresh plea, the coming hearings are expected to shape both environmental enforcement and property rights.
For now, the High Court’s order offers temporary relief to the petitioners but also extends the uncertainty that has gripped hundreds of farmhouse owners. As the September 24 hearing approaches, both the Noida Authority and the affected residents are preparing for what could become a decisive legal battle over the Yamuna floodplain.
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