Residents of Malibu Towne in Gurgaon, India, have taken to the streets to protest a blanket ban on the registration of properties in the township. The ban was imposed in December 2022 by the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), following a complaint by an RTI activist and resident of the colony, Raman Sharma. The HSPCB issued a closure notice to the developer, alleging that environmental norms were violated during the construction of the township.
Residents of Malibu Towne in Gurgaon, India, have taken to the streets to protest a blanket ban on the registration of properties in the township. The ban was imposed in December 2022 by the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), following a complaint by an RTI activist and resident of the colony, Raman Sharma. The HSPCB issued a closure notice to the developer, alleging that environmental norms were violated during the construction of the township.
The residents have submitted a memorandum to the chief minister, seeking his intervention to lift the ban. They want the ban to be limited to the developer and for the sale deed of properties that have already been bought and owned by the residents to be allowed. The closure order has had a negative impact on residents, particularly those in the process of buying or selling properties. One resident, KK Grover, signed a sale agreement on December 10, 2022, but was only made aware of the ban in January 2023, after going to register the property. As a result, the transaction has not been completed, and Grover is living in a rented accommodation.
Vijay Shiv Nath, president of the Malibu Towne Residents Welfare Association, said that the closure notice is affecting other development works that were supposed to be undertaken by the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon and other departments. Nath argues that the HSPCB's order should only be directed towards the developer for any discrepancies in environmental clearance or effluent discharge, rather than penalizing residents who have already paid their dues.
The township was developed in 1992-93 and is spread across 204 acres in sectors 47 and 51. There are currently 2,500 families living in the township. The sub-divisional magistrate, Ravinder Yadav, has received the memorandum submitted by the residents and has promised to put their demands before the government for consideration.
A representative of the developer said that they are going to challenge the closure order. They argue that all the allegations have not yet been proven, and the pollution board issued the closure order despite no proof. The developer has repeatedly requested that the pollution board take another water sample but to no avail. The developer is now a party to the case in the National Green Tribunal and is going to challenge the closure order.
The closure order has caused significant disruption and inconvenience to the residents of Malibu Towne, many of whom are in the process of buying or selling properties. The ban on registration has caused a backlog in property transactions, leaving many residents without a place to call home. The residents are hoping that the chief minister will intervene and limit the ban to the developer, allowing the sale of properties that have already been bought and owned by the residents.
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