Hoteliers' plea to enforce revised guidelines

Visakhapatnam: Hotels & Restaurants Association of Andhra Pradesh (HRAAP) has appealed to AP Pollution Control Board (APPCB) to implement revised environmental guidelines for the hotel industry.

In a representation to APPCB Chairman P Krishnaiah during his visit to Visakhapatnanm, a delegation of HRRAP led by its president MV Pavan Kartheek,submitted a detailed representation regarding environmental classification and compliance norms applicable to the hospitality sector in AP.

During the interaction, HRAAP highlighted the implementation of 2025 guideline and sought early implementation of the revised 2025 environmental guidelines in place of the existing 2016 norms. The association stated that updated guidelines would bring clarity, uniformity and ease of compliance, and help rationalise the regulatory burden on hotels across the State.

On reclassification of hotels, the association submitted that hotels are service-oriented establishments generating primarily domestic sewage and biodegradable waste, similar to residential complexes. HRAAP requested reconsideration of the current Red/Orange categorisation and proposed placing hotels under the Green Category or adopting a more rational classification based on actual pollution load rather than room count alone.

Batting for relief for the Underground Drainage (UGD) areas, HRAAP requested that in municipal, semi-urban and rural areas where UGD systems are connected to municipal treatment facilities, hotels may be exempted from mandatory installation of individual STPs. This would avoid duplication of infrastructure and reduce financial burden, especially for small and medium hotels.

Seeking rationalisation of fee structure, the association wanted a one-time permission system for hotels below 100 rooms, one-time consent fee mechanism and proportionate fee structure based on actual pollution load.