Noida bans flowerpots on balcony parapets in housing societies
The decision was taken in the aftermath of the incident in Pune, where a child died after a pot placed on a balcony railing fell over him, said Noida CEO M Lokesh. But Apartment Owners Associations and Residents’ Welfare Associations said they do not have legal rights to ensure flat owners follow the order.
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The group housing societies in Noida asks the residents to remove all the flower pots kept on the parapet of the balconies. (File Photo)All flat owners of residential societies in Noida have been asked to remove flower pots from the parapets of their balconies. The decision was taken in the aftermath of a child dying after a pot placed on a balcony railing fell over him in a housing society’s compound in Pune, said officials.
In a notice issued on May 13, the Authority has said that in case of accidents, an FIR will be lodged against the flat owner, as well as the AOA president or builder.
Apartment owners association (AOA) and resident welfare associations (RWA), while welcoming the decision, maintained that they do not have legal rights to ensure that flat owners follow the order.
Anita Joshi, president of the Sector 51 RWA, said, “The move is of no use and will put (AOA/RWA) presidents into trouble. Who do you think is going to listen to us? People who don’t abide by the rules of the Authority are going to listen to us?”
“We do not have any legal right over the society or the residents to force them to comply,” she added.
Joshi further said, “There are bigger things that the Authority should take notice of – the sewers are clogged, there is illegal encroachment over drains… despite several complaints, nothing is done.”
The Noida Authority notice has stated that if any accident takes place due to flower pots kept on balcony parapets, the flat owner and the AOA president will be held responsible. In case of societies that do not have AOAs, the responsibility will fall on the builder who has constructed the housing society.
Pawan Yadav, the president of the Century Apartment AOA in Noida’s Sector 100, also pointed to AOAs lacking any legal rights. “How will we perform a duty in the absence of any rights? The provision of FIR against us is ridiculous,” said Yadav.
Yadav said he has initiated the move to remove all flower pots from the society’s balconies. “We have communicated in our society WhatsApp groups that residents should remove the flower pots. In case they do not comply, we will bring it to the notice of the Authority.”
Earlier in the day, Noida Authority Chief Executive Officer (CEO) M Lokesh said, “It (flower pots) can fall on anyone, even while watering the pots or because of the wind. As of now, we are not going to impose any fine. It is a sensitive issue. Residents should comply with the decision because it is a sensitive issue.”
The notice by Noida Authority stated, “The incident (child dying in Pune) is very unfortunate and so that the similar incident is not repeated in future… it is expected from the constituted AOA of all the group housing societies in Noida to act against and remove all flower pots kept on the parapet of the balconies…”
“My team has started carrying out checks to see if the order is being implemented,” said the CEO.
The CEO of Greater Noida Authority, N G Ravi, said similar directions will also be issued by the Authority. “It is a very forward-looking step and we will implement the same guidelines… Whether FIRs would be lodged against AOA presidents will be clear once we issue a written order,” he added.
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