The Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) on Saturday sealed as many as 19 hotels in Puri in the first phase of its drive for violating pollution norms.
All the hotels are located at the Chakratirtha and Goudabad Sahi close to the sea beach. Only the 20th hotel, Radhika Resort, to be sealed on the day, escaped action on the ground that the authorities failed to locate it. The closure procedure was conducted by the district administration in the presence of OSPCB Regional Director Hadibandhu Panigrahi. The OSPCB had earlier served closure notices to a total of 40 hotels in the tourism and pilgrimage city for not having the ‘Consent to Operate’ licences.
Closure notices have been issued to the remaining 20 hotels, which would be sealed in the second phase, revealed an official source.