According to information available, 903 hotels are operating illegally in the State without consent from the Odisha State Pollution Control Board.
The issue was raised by Orissa High Court advocate Biranchi Narayan Mahapatra before the National Green Tribunal, Eastern Zone Bench, Kolkata. The NGT bench comprising Justice Pratap Kumar Ray (Judicial Member) and Prof PC Mishra (expert member) recently admitted the case and issued notice to the Odisha Chief Secretary and Member Secretary, State Pollution Control Board, Odisha for filing their reply within stipulated period and also called for detail status and action taken report from the Chief Secretary and State Pollution Control Board, sources said.
The tribunal, in the meantime, also directed the State Pollution Control Board to take necessary measures in respect of the hoteliers who without taking consent have established their hotels and are operating their business in the respective area within Odisha and to file action taken report before the tribunal on the date fixed.
Considering the statutory embargo under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 which mandates that no industry can operate without consent to establish and operate, the application of the petitioner was admitted for hearing by the tribunal. Again the case was put up on different dates for hearing.
Notably, on an earlier occasion, the NGT had directed the PCB to take appropriate measures including issuance of closure order against the illegal hotels within prescribed time frame from the date of orders.
The tribunal reportedly also ordered the PCB to take steps to disconnect the electricity and water supply line on the issuance of closure order. The action taken report was also called for by the NGT from the PCB in the matter.