STPs must in hotels, banquet halls in Bengaluru

Bengaluru : Following the direction of the National Green Tribunal, the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has issued directions to the eateries, banquets and restaurants with seating capacity of 36 and above and 20 or more rooms should provide Effluent and Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) if they are not connected to the underground drainage system (UGD).

If the establishments are connected with the UGD system, Preliminary Treatment is enough before discharging to UGD with approvals. The treated wastewater to be used for secondary purposes and the quality of the treated wastewater is to be analysed and the report should be submitted to the pollution control board once a month.

The KSPCB has directed the hotels to install separate energy meters for ETPs

In order to control water pollution the KSPCB has made it compulsory for hotels to install rainwater harvesting systems. Along with bigger hotels, all marriage halls/venues need to use efficient fixtures such as low flow shower heads, bath, sink faucet aerators, low flow toilets.

Marriage halls above 170 seating capacity and restaurants more than 50 tables are considered bulk generators therefore the board has made it mandatory in house composting / bio gas of organic waste, food waste.

There should be no open burning of solid waste and the non bridgeable waste like paper, glass, metal should be recycled.

Only approved fuels have to be used for the DG sets. The sets have to have specified chimney heights, acoustics and retrofitting to bring down emissions.

The units are directed to install the DG sets at appropriate locations to minimise the impact. The hotel industry has, however, expressed displeasure over the development as they claim the industry is yet to recover from the onslaught brought by Covid pandemic.

Bruhat Bangalore Hotels Association president, PC Rao said, "The move will increase the number of licenses before starting the business. These guidelines should not be enforced retrospectively."