COURT STAYS SHUTDOWN NOTICE FOR BUDGET HOTELS

NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal on Friday stayed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) shutdown notices to small hotels running without kitchen or laundry.

A vacation bench of justice UD Salvi and expert member PC Mishra issued the order while hearing a petition filed by Delhi Hotel & Restaurant Owner’s Association.

Almost 350 budget hotels in the city have been sent closure notices again by the DPCC over absence of proper effluent and sewage treatment plants.

They had been given some extra time, till the end of this month, to comply and prevent shutdown by Delhi environment minister Imran Hussain. However, the hotels and guest house owners demanded complete exemption for establishments without kitchen.

“Guest houses have not been categorised by the Central Pollution Control Board. That needs to be done first. And when categorised, they should be under ‘non polluting’ category as these small establishments neither have kitchen nor laundry. This is by definition of the Master Plan,” advocate IK Kapila, who represented the hotel owners’ body, told HT.

According to him, the NGT stayed the notice only for establishments without kitchen and laundry and the matter will be heard next on July 21.

Hotel and guesthouse owners are happy with the order.

“We are very happy with the order passed by NGT. We have been saying this from some time that small hotels and guesthouses are not responsible for any type of pollution,” said Arun Gupta of the Delhi Hotel Mahasangh.