Commercial operations of 85 Srinagar hotels closed

Following Jammu and Kashmir High Court's order, commercial operations of 85 hotels was closed down today for not following norms laid down by the Pollution Control Board (PCB).
"The squads, formed by the District Magistrate Srinagar, today ensured compliance of the orders of the High Court with regard to the 85 hotels which were not conforming to the norms of the PCB," a spokesman of the district administration said.
He said the High Court had ordered stopping of commercial operations of 108 hotels based on the list submitted by the PCB to the court.
"Out of these, eight hotels were later exempted from the order as they had fulfilled the norms," the spokesman added.

The High Court is hearing public interest litigation on damage to Kashmir's environment by non-installation of Sewerage Treatment Plants by the hotel owners as mandated under the PCB norms.