The Delhi government on Wednesday said five-star hotels were one of the major waste generators, indirectly contributing to climate change, both during construction and operation stages. It said the 30-odd hotels were consuming about 15 million litres per day (MLD) of water and discharging about of 10 MLD of waste water.
"This is much more than what's allowed by the international standards we have adopted. We have been asking hotels to follow green hotel guidelines since 2010 but the progress is not encouraging," said a top government official after a meeting held with 33 hotels on Tuesday.
The Delhi government's environment department has now ordered these hotels to submit an action plan, along with an affidavit within a month, to cut down on pollution and waste of water and energy.
"As many as 16 hotels are yet to install plants to treat the entire waste water. Solar water heating systems have been installed only at 21 hotels. They have again been told to conserve natural resources including land," he said.
The guidelines essentially ask hotels to install sewage treatment plants for treatment of the entire waste water, on-site use of treated water in flushing, cooling towers, horticulture, besides installation of solar water heating systems, organic waste convertor and biogas plants.
Hotels have to also ensure composting, peripheral plantation, rain water harvesting, groundwater recharge, and water auditing.
Hotels have been asked, through a questionnaire, to furnish information on infrastructure, water consumption and its conservation, water source, wastewater generation and its reuse, air pollution control measures adopted, solid waste generation, energy consumption and its conservation, adoption of renewable energy sources, development of environmental management group and corporate social responsibility steps.
Senior Delhi government official PK Tripathi appealed to the hotels to change their mindset regarding use and conservation of natural resources.
