Kasauli mess: Limited hotel occupancy, unlimited expansion

Ambika Sharma

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Solan, June 20

Notwithstanding limited occupancy being registered by hotels, there is no end to palatial tourism projects coming up in every nook and corner in the Kasauli planning area (KPA).

The KPA comprises Kasauli town and 35 villages within its 10-km periphery. All major roads, including Dharampur-Mangoti Mor-Kasauli, Kimmughat-Chakki Mor, Garkhal-Chabal road, etc., are bursting at the seams with every conceivable patch of land having been transformed into a tourist unit.

Though the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has capped the height of buildings to two and a half floors for attic in October 2018, the projects that got permission earlier have added more floors. Villages situated on the fringes of the planning area have seen construction of up to seven-storey buildings.

District Tourism Development Officer Ratti Ram said, “An essentiality certificate is issued to a project only if it fulfils the laid down criteria.”

Rocky Chimney, vice-president of the Kasauli Residents and Hotel Welfare Association, said, “Kasauli registers the highest average room revenue in the state ranging from Rs 7,000 to Rs 8,000. It is bound to take a hit with plethora of new tourism units coming up along the length and breadth of the KPA.”

Big hotels register up to 60 per cent occupancy, while the middle ranged ones secure 30-50 per cent business annually. “Kasauli will soon be another Manali where the number of tourism units has surpassed the demand and most of these remain vacant for lack of business,” Chimney said.

To prevent crass commercialisation of the area, the HC has directed the Town and Country Planning (TCP) to prepare regional plans mapping the existing land use to regulate construction activity.

TCP Junior Engineer Sachin said the preparation of a regional plan was underway for the KPA and it would be ready in a year.

Demolition in 2018

• 13 unauthorised constructions were razed in the Kasauli planning area in 2018 on the directions of the NGT
• A TCP official and a PWD beldar lost their lives after a man opened fire while a portion of his hotel was being demolished near Dharampur

Govt policy on tourism promotion

An essentiality certificate is issued to a project only if it fulfils the laid down criteria. Those wanting to invest are given permission, provided the laid down criteria are met, as the state government’s policy is to promote tourism. Ratti Ram, district tourism development officer