J&K court directs govt to seal hotels without sewage plants

Jammu and Kashmir High Court today directed the state government to seal all the hotels in Gulmarg tourist resort which have not installed Sewerage Treatment Plants (STP).
A division bench comprising Chief Justice M M Kumar and Justice M H Attar directed the state government to seal the hotels which have more than 19 rooms and have not installed the STPs in their establishments till date.
The court also directed the respondents including the state and Pollution Control Board to submit a compliance report on the directions by Saturday.
Advocate General Mohammad Ishaq Qadri informed the court that the authorities have already suspended operations of seven hotels in Gulmarg which had not complied with the environment policy laid for the resort in north Kashmir.

He also submitted the list of the hotels which had more than 19 rooms but had not installed the STP so far.
The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation on various irregularities and violations in the Gulmarg master plan.