Rourkela, Sept 6: Around 30 more hotels in Rourkela have been served with notice by the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB), for operating their hotels without the mandatory Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP) by violating the provisions under Sections 25 and 26 of Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Section 21 of Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. The OSPCB has instructed them to comply with the pollution norms and set up STP as early as possible.
The sewerage water is directly released into drains which connect to river Brahmani at Rourkela and river Ib by many big hotels in Rourkela who do not have STPs.
Mukesh Mahaling, OSPCB Regional Officer (RO) informed that STPs have to be set up by hotels with more than 20 rooms.
Sources informed that around six hotels have set up their STPs till now while few hotels are waiting for the National Green Tribunal (NGT) judgment on lowering of environmental compensation penalties that would come on September 13.
