OSPCB slaps closure notice on three Puri hotels

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) on Wednesday slapped closure notices on three hotels along Puri sea beach for violating pollution control norms. Similar notices were earlier served to 11 hostels in the town.
“The hotels were served show-cause notices two weeks ago. They failed to give a plausible explanation for the violations,” said OSPCB regional officer, Bhubaneswar, Hadibandhu Panigrahi.
On September 16, the board sealed five hotels on same charges. A month later, it allowed them to function after depositing a certain amount in the shape of bank guarantee. The hotels were asked to set up sewerage treatment plant (STP), failing which they will forfeit the bank guarantee.
Board sources said the three hotels allegedly discharged untreated waste water through drainage channels into the sea near Bankimuhan. “We want to make sure that all hotels conform to pollution control norms before Nabakalebara,” said Panigrahi.
Twenty more hotels in the town have been served show-cause notices and given seven days to file explanation, he added.
The hotels came under pollution board’s scanner after the latter conducted tests to check the pollution level at Puri in March 2014. A total of 287 hotels were asked to apply for consent. The board’s consent is mandatory for establishing and running hotels.
Three multi-storey hotels in Bhubaneswar will soon be issued closure notices for allegedly functioning without STPs, the sources added.
Cuttack: A team from Odisha State Pollution Control Board on Wednesday found serious lapses in the biomedical waste treatment plant at SCB Medical College and Hospital here. “The shredder and one of the microwaves, used for disposing syringes, saline bottles and other medical wastes, are lying defunct. To add to the problems, the incinerator is also not functioning properly,” said regional officer of OSPCB, Cuttack, Santosh Panda.
He said the medical waste is not being segregated properly, which can be hazardous for environment and patients. “The SCB authorities have been asked to immediately repair the defunct machines,” he said.
Administrative officer, SCB, Pratap Mishra said, “The defunct machines will be repaired at a cost of Rs 27 lakhs within three weeks.” The incineration and microwave have to be replaced, SCB sources said.