Many hotels in Udaipur are facing the possibility of being sealed due to non compliance. The Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board has issued final notices to 48 hotels. The Board asserts that the operators of these hotels have not obtained the required consent and registration with the Pollution Control Board,  in order to comply with the pollution standards. They have been given a final deadline of two days to comply.

If registration is not completed between December 27 and 28, the AVVNL will promptly cut off their power supply, on the Board's suggestion. If anyone tries to run a hotel using a generator, it will be seized. In case it is needed, locks may be installed with police assistance. The necessary permission for these actions has been secured from the Headquarters of the Pollution Control Board and Police Headquarters.

“As of December 31, Udaipur will be bustling with tourists celebrating the New Year, and nearly all Hotels are fully booked. In consideration of the Tourists, the Board is currently holding off the disconnection of electricity connections. A special camp will be held at the Pollution Board's office in Udaipur on December 27 and 28. If the Hotel operators fail to submit applications during these two days, electricity connections will be terminated on December 29. Moreover, appropriate penalties will be levied on these Hotels. Instructions for these actions have been received from the main office in Jaipur.” - Sharad Saxena, Regional Officer, Pollution Control Board.

As per the normns, Hotels situated outside the city limits are required to set up separate plants. The treated water from these plants is used for gardens and other purposes. Approximately 15 hotels, as mentioned in the notices, have licenses that have expired, and they have not submitted new applications. The other hotels haven't applied for licenses since the day they started operating. The Board grants licenses to Hotels for 5 or 10 years, depending on specified conditions.

Pollution Control, Water and Air and Treatment

The Pollution Control Board is enforcing action based on Sections 25 and 26 of the Water Act of 1974. The board suspects that these Hotels are causing water pollution, because they lack 'Consent to Operate' registration. When Hotels in city limits apply for Consent to Operate, Board representatives check their sewage lines for discharge. If connected to the sewer line, it means the wastewater is either going to the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), where pollutants are removed by common treatment systems, or it is not.

Source: Dainik Bhaskar