Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 11: Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) Jammu has expressed serious concern over the sealing of the hotels by the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB), especially at the time when the tourist season has set in.
In an emergency meeting of the Chamber held here today under the leadership of Y V Sharma (president), the members observed that for the last 3-4 days, PCB has initiated process of sealing hotels in Jammu city, Katra and Patnitop. The PCB has been of the view that hotels with room up to 19 and above should have sewage treatment facility like sewage treatment plants, whereas, the hotels with rooms less than 19 should have sewage treatment facility like septic tank. PCB has launched a drive irrespective of conditions mentioned above.
The CCI president pointed out that JMC has set up a common sewage treatment plant for the old Jammu city with a cost of Rs 129 crore which is going to be made operational within next 3-4 months and all the hotels of Old Jammu city are going to be benefitted with it. In Srinagar, the hotels with bed rooms less than 19 are being allowed to operate and with the existing sewage treatment infrastructure that is septic tanks. Not only this, the Government vide its order dated 6-3-14 has asked all the hotels having more than 19 rooms and upto 40 to built up one additional septic tank to fulfill the sewage disposal requirements.
It is most unfortunate that despite these facts the hoteliers from Jammu are being put to harassment. The tourism season has set in and the pilgrims to Mata Vaishnodevi are on the rise and Shri Amarnath yatra is about to start. At this point of time the sealing of hotels is most unwanted and unjustified action on the part of PCB officials. This action has created strong resentment among the members of Chamber and hoteliers, he maintained.
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