Noida Authority admits treating all wastewater but dumping two-thirds of it; NGT calls it ‘unacceptable’

• Noida treats 260 MLD sewage daily but reuses only 86 MLD, rest flows into drains
• NGT criticizes Noida Authority for failing to utilize over half of treated water
• Activists say current efforts fall short of 46% reuse target by 2026.

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Seven months after being censured by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Noida Authority’s revised roadmap for utilising treated sewage water has failed to satisfy judicial scrutiny. Despite treating all of the city’s wastewater, the Authority admits it currently reuses only a third, discharging the majority into drains - a situation the Tribunal has deemed unacceptable.

According to an affidavit made public on December 29, the Authority treats 260 million litres per day (MLD) across eight sewage treatment plants (STPs). However, only 86 MLD is repurposed for irrigation, horticulture, construction, wetlands and fire-fighting. The remaining 174 MLD of treated water is released into drains, representing a significant waste of a potential resource, The Indian Express reported.

The NGT had taken up the matter suo motu and, in an order dated May 15, flagged the chronic underutilisation. In its recent affidavit, the Authority outlined a phased plan to boost reuse by 42 MLD, but conceded that progress has been minimal. Only 8 MLD of additional reuse has been operationalised so far. It projects a further 20 MLD by December 2025 and another 22 MLD by the second quarter of 2026.

Even if these delayed targets are met, the Tribunal noted the Authority would only be utilising about 120 MLD by mid-2026. The NGT’s order explicitly stated this would mean “even 50% of the STP treated water will not be utilised as per the existing plan.” At that point, nearly 140 MLD of treated water would still be flowing into drains daily.

Environmental activists have criticised the Authority’s approach as inadequate. Noida-based activist Amit Gupta was quoted by The Indian Express as saying: “The Authority continues to project future reuse targets without addressing this present non-compliance. Even if all these projections are met, the total reuse would rise only to around 120 MLD. That would still leave nearly 140 MLD of treated sewage water flowing into drains.”

The Authority’s latest projections, which aim for a reuse rate of roughly 46% of total treated water, are seen by experts as a failure to address the core issue of immediate waste and resource mismanagement.

The case highlights a persistent gap in urban environmental governance: the capacity to build treatment infrastructure far outpaces the planning and investment needed to integrate the treated output into a circular water economy. The next hearing before the NGT is scheduled for February 5, where the Authority will be expected to provide a more substantive compliance plan.