The National Green Tribunal has denied the interim plea of 34 hotels in Kullu and Manali, to allow them to run their business, observing that river Beas in Himachal Pradesh has been “turned into a drain” by them.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar observed that none of the 34 hotels have sewage treatment plants (STPs) or consent to operate and were discharging effluents into the river.
The bench even declined to allow them to operate generators for running their business. “Applicants (hotels) will not even use generators to run their business as it would be tantamount to violation of the Tribunal’s order. You have turned the river into a drain. It used to be a pure and healthy river,” said the bench The next hearing has been put on Nov 21 in Shimla.
The Tribunal, however directed the Himachal Pradesh Pollution Control Board (HPPCB) to review as per law certain applications of the hotels seeking consent to operate. These hotels contended that they are not located near the river and have small businesses having 4-10 rooms.
The HPPCB by an earlier order of NGT dated Sept 17, had been directed to ensure closure of all the 34 hotels which are operating without obtaining consent of the authority.
The hotels contended that the Pollution Control Board is not giving them consent to operate due to the Tribunal’s order. They claimed to have complied with all of the earlier directions of the Tribunal, but as they could not show whether they had functional sewage treatment plants in their hotels, the bench refused to give any interim relief to them.