Hotels polluting Puri beaches

New Delhi, Mar 4 (UNI) Orissa sea beaches are being polluted by the release of untreated waste water by hotels, prompting the Government to initiate action against them.

As many as 23 hotels located near sea beaches in Puri in the east coast state are facing criminal charges for causing pollution of the seaside, the Environment Ministry said here.

Cases against these hotels have been filed under CrPC 133 by the Puri Municipality in the court of sub-divisional Magistrate, it said here in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

The Ministry said that though the waste water from these hotels was discharged to the underground sewer leading to Sewage treatment system located at Bankimuhan, there were occasional overflows due to choking of sewer lines during the peak tourist season, including the Rath Yatra period.

It said the hotels were under periodical inspection of the Orissa Pollution Control Board.

The Ministry said the centre has sanctioned a sewerage and sewage treatment project for Puri at an estimated amount of rs 48.29 Crore on 70:30 cost sharing basis with the state. The project, which covers the laying of sewers and setting up of sewage treatment plant(STP), is being implemented by Orissa water Supply and Sewerage Board.

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