Work on Kasauli hotel begins after NGT nod

Tribune News Service

Solan, November 16

The HP Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) has finally begun the construction of a 32-room hotel in Kasauli following the NGT nod. Its work had been stalled in 2017 by the tribunal following environmental concerns raised by an NGO.

Executive Engineer, HPTDC, Paramjit Katnoria said they would put in place all environmental conservation measures to ensure that the ecology of the area was not harmed. The hotel is slated to be made functional by March 2020.

Since the area faces acute shortage of water, the HPTDC has sunk a borewell to ensure availability of adequate water. “A sewage treatment plant and solid waste management plant will also be set up,” Katnoria added.

As per the requirement, a structural stability certificate has been sought by the HPTDC as concerns had been raised by environmentalists earlier. Being a flat site with a slope category of 15 to 25 degrees and partially 35 degrees a two-storey structure will be set up housing 32 rooms. Though 42 rooms had been planned initially, the NGT allowed only 32.

Rainwater harvesting structure will also be put in place to ensure optimum utilisation of rainwater and efforts will be made to maintain the green aura of the area.

Notably, the tribunal had in March 2017 quashed the Consent to Establish (CoE) granted to this hotel as it had noted that the HPTDC had applied for the CoE on December 15, 2015, and the State Pollution Control Board had granted it within two days without proper assessment of its environmental impact. A high-level committee, constituted by the NGT, had then examined the issue after conducting a field report and suggested various recommendations to ensure that the area’s ecology was not compromised.

The NGT finally gave its nod to construct the hotel in October this year after the corporation complied with the required conditions.

Since Kasauli faces a large influx of tourists in summer, the hotel is slated to add substantial revenue to the corporation. In the absence of adequate hotels, the tourists often have to stay in places like Dharampur, which disappoints visitors.

Former Chief Minister PK Dhumal had laid the foundation stone of this museum along with a tourism project in September 2011. An expenditure of Rs 8.66 crore was supposed to be incurred on the project by the corporation.