The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday observed that parking facility in the Kasauli hotels should be seriously looked into and “parking should be a multi-purpose area where people can drive in and go”.

During the course of hearing, the NGT bench headed by Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel was informed that parking facility in the hotels was creating problems.

The bench observed that parking facility should be earthquake resistant.

The bench was hearing a batch of petitions raising concern on the unauthorized construction of hotels in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh.

Apart from the parking facility issue, the bench was also informed on other issues rainwater harvesting, sewage management and groundwater depletion.

Senior Advocate PS Patwalia appearing for the petitioners told the bench that report on the groundwater has been filed which reveals that groundwater has reached its optimum level and has been exhausted.

He said that it should be investigated further by a team of two-three environmentalists.

“The state govt is acting like typical bureaucrats. They have disallowed extracting groundwater but without putting a cap limit,” Patwalia said. “The govt doesn’t apply for permission. They dig first and when someone challenges it, they apply for registration.”

The bench was informed that rainwater harvesting was not being implemented properly in the state. To which the hotels assured the bench it will be looked into properly.

The petitioner’s counsel also raised the issue of sewage management. To which the hotels responded that they were still working on it and forming ways to deal with the solid waste.

The bench asks for time frame and says that it can’t be put on hold indefinitely. “You have to have to manage, it is the mandate of law,” said the bench.

                                                                                                            —India Legal Bureau