Bengaluru: As hotels and resorts mushroom in ecologically sensitive areas, the Center has announced new rules reclassifying these establishments on the basis of activity and scale of operation, putting big hotels in the ‘red’ category, making timely inspections mandatory.
The tourism boom in Karnataka has led to an explosion of hotels and resorts in areas like the Western Ghats and Hampi over the past two decades. Conservationists and activists have warned that this has come at a huge ecological cost. Hotels and resorts have been accused of polluting rivers in Kodagu, Chikkagamaluru, Uttara Kannada and Mysuru districts.
Late last year, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had tried to bring such facilities under a monitoring mechanism by categorizing them as ‘red’, ‘orange’, ‘green’ and ‘white’ based on the level of pollution they cause, with ‘red’ units being highly polluting.
“It did not arise because of confusion over the classification of buildings. Until now, state EIA authorities issued permits for large facilities up to 20,000 square meters. Smaller ones slipped. The CPCB has now categorized facilities based on the amount of waste they generate,” said an official in the environment department.
According to CPCB guidelines, state pollution control boards should ensure inspection of red, orange and green categories of industries at least once in six months, one year and two years, respectively. Under the new CPCB rules, hotels with more than 300 rooms will be classified as ‘red’ which will get permission to operate for five years after which they will undergo mandatory procedures before renovation.
Enterprises that use only gas-based kitchens and have a lower pollution index will be classified as ‘orange’ with specific conditions for the use of generators, boilers, independent sewage treatment plants and other measures. Hotels, resorts and motels with 21 to 300 rooms are also classified in the ‘orange’ category. However, facilities with 21-100 rooms operating with gas-based kitchens will be treated with others with up to 20 rooms as green category.
Even small facilities with less than 20 rooms, categorized as ‘white’, will attract conditions for the use of generators, boilers and waste water management.
A source in the Karnataka Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) said that implementing the rules could be a challenge due to shortage of staff. “KSPCB has an apparent vacancy of 62%. The last assessment of staff requirement was done more than 15 years ago. We not only need to fill the posts but also update ourselves to implement the new rules,” he said.
To a question, KSPCB president and chief minister Malavalli MLA Narendra Swamy accepted the challenge. “It is true that our responsibilities have increased and staff strength has decreased. However, I have been pushing for recruitment. We hope to fill about 180 positions in the next three months,” he said.
