Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 5: The State High Court directed State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) to identify all such hotels in Srinagar and Pahalgam within four days which are operating in violation of pollution laws.
After hearing a Public Interest Litigation that sought court orders on safeguarding the eco-sensitive areas of Gulmarg and Tangmarg from illegal constructions, a Division Bench of High Court comprising Chief Justice M M Kumar and Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar directed the PCB to identify all such hotels and furnish the list on October 8.
The bench said: “In the last order, we have confined our directions only to the hotels operating in Gulmarg. Once we find that there is a large scale violation of the pollution control laws, we are left with an impression that there may be similar violations in other places, like Pahalgam and Srinagar.”
The court passed the direction after examining the compliance report submitted by PCB.
During the proceedings the counsel for petitioner, Advocate Ajaz Chasti submitted that septic tanks were not acceptable because the sewerage flow from the septic tank contaminates the ground water which does not remain fit for drinking.
The court after hearing the arguments from Chasti observed: “At this stage, we are unable to express any opinion on the issue because the policy of the Pollution Control Board is in place and till that policy continues to operate it would not be proper to comment on the legality of that policy.”
“However, (Advocate Chasti) is free to challenge the policy of the Board if so advised,” the court observed.
The bench further directed the PCB for filling of complete status report with regard to performance of Sewerage Treatment Plants (STP’s) in Hotel Pinnacle Resort after PCB’s report mentioned that the said hotel has valid consent from the PCB. The court observed it was not clear whether the STP was effectively operational or not.
The court had in its earlier direction asked the authorities to seal six hotels in Gulmarg which were violating PCB laws and further directed to file status report with regard to sealing of those hotels be also filed.
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