Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Sept 27: Acting swiftly on the directions issued by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court yesterday, the Pollution Control Board (PCB) today sealed 15 hotels in Gulmarg tourist resort for violating the pollution norms.
The hotels which were seized include Highland Park, Nedous, Zamzam, Welcome, Zehgeer, Poshwan, Afarwat, Royal Park, Vantage, Heaven, Grand Mumtaz, Shah Inn, Gulmarg Resort, Alpine Ridge and Dar hut.
These hotels were lacking Swerage Treatment Plants (STPs). According to PCB norms, STP is a must for a hotel. The sealing order was issued by a Division Bench of Jammu and Kashmir High Court comprising Chief Justice M M Kumar and Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar. The hotels were sealed in presence of the Executive Magistrate and these were violating the Pollution Control Act 1974.
A team of officials including Tehsildar, Chief Executive Officer, Gulmarg Development Authority and Pollution Control Board this morning gave five hours time to the hotel owners to make alternate arrangements for the tourists.
The officials visited these hotels at 9 am. and sealed the hotels at around 2 pm. One of the officials who was part of the team told Excelsior that hoteliers fully cooperated with the officials and they had diverted some of the tourists to Pahalgam and while others were shifted to other hotels.
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