Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Oct 23: High Court today directed the Government to take all necessary steps to ensure the defaulting hotels are sealed in Pahalgam tourist resort.Taking serious note of the status report submitted by Pollution Control Board, a Division Bench of High Court comprising Chief Justice M M Kumar and Justice M H Attar observed the PCB has not taken any action against the violators after serving notices to them to stop the commercial activity in the hotels.
The bench directed PCB authorities to take all required steps, and help from the Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate to make sure that defaulting hotels are sealed.
The status report of PCB mentioned that 34 hoteliers from category-B responded to their notices that are being considered on merit, most of the hotels are without soakage pits, or Sewage Treatment Plants.
“14 hotels have been given permission to set up STP’s and soakage pits out of which three have already installed STP’s,” the PCB report said.
The bench directed these hotels might be allowed to operate from October 28 for a period of one month to allow PCB to ascertain the efficiency of such STP’s.
Directing the PCB, Pahalgam Development Authority and Building Operations Controlling Authority (BOCA) to allow minor constructions necessary for making the STP’s and soakage pits on leased land, but the court asked them not to carry any encroachments on any government land.
The PCB’s report also mentioned that in Gulmarg five hotels in category-A (having more than 20 rooms) which had been sealed after issuance of notices have responded seeking permission to set up STP’s.
“Out of these two have already set up STP’s and among category-B hotels one hotel, Afarwat hotel, has also applied for permission to set up STP,” the report said.
The court directed to allow these hotels to run for one month to allow PCB to see whether the STP’s operate as per norms and achieve the requisite efficiency.
The bench further ordered that if any STP or soakage pit doesn’t conform to rules and norms that should be stopped and the hotel sealed again.
The court also directed the PCB to file status report regarding all notices, steps taken in compliance of such notices, sealings, permissions sought by any hotelier, permission granted to any hotelier by or before next hearing.
BOCA should also convene weekly meetings on setting up of STP’s by any hotelier promptly, the court directed, adding, that any construction, minor or major, apart from STP’s installations be demolished by the Deputy Commissioner and Chief Engineer Concerned without issuing any show cause notices to the defaulting persons.
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