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| Crisis loom over hospitality sector as hotels, restaurants proceed on two day strike from today | | Around 20,000 tourists set to come on roads | | Jehangir Rashid
SRINAGAR, Oct 27: Thousands of tourists putting up in hundreds of hotels across Kashmir valley are all set to face problems and come on roads as the hotels registered under the two parallel hotel associations are all set to go on two day strike from today.Hotels registered under Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHARA) and Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Owners Federation (KHAROF) would remain closed on October 28 and 29 against the recent state government directive to them to install individual Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) in their hotel premises. The hotels would display 'Sorry We are Closed' during the two days of strike thus leading to a situation in which the tourists would be left with no option but to either live in houseboats or under open sky. It is probably for the first time that all the hotels would remain closed with no room available for the tourists. Talking to Early Times, prominent hotelier and Chief Spokesman, Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA), Siraj Ahmad said that the hoteliers have informed the tourists about the strike well in advance. Siraj said that all the hotels would remain closed in order to show their reservation and resentment towards the latest government directive. "More than 20,000 tourists would come on roads on Monday morning since they would be left accommodation less as the hotels are closing early in the morning. This would be a crisis and in absence of contingency plan there is trouble in store for the tourists who are presently staying put in Kashmir valley these days," said Siraj. It would be in place to mention here that hotels located across the Srinagar city and all the important destinations of Kashmir would remain closed on the two days. Hotels of Pahalgam, Gulmarg and Sonamarg would remain closed thus putting tourists to trouble. Restaurants across Kashmir valley are also expected to remain shut thus depriving the tourists of food joints.
The hoteliers say that it is not possible for them to install individual STPs and the STPs already established by the government can be put to use for disposal of sewage coming out of the hotels. The hoteliers' contention is that government is obliged to install Common STPs under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewable Mission (JnNURM) scheme to cover entire commercial and domestic sectors for the safeguard of environment. "We are highly concerned about the silence maintained by the government with regard to sealing of commercial properties including the properties of hotel industry in the valley. Although, the Hon'ble High Court has send a clear message to state government to come forward with a clear policy about the huge commercial properties that has come up at a fast pace, particularly during past one decade, but the fact remain that the government has miserably failed to adopt a positive and clear cut policy in this behalf," said KEA Chief Spokesman. Siraj said that concern of hotel industry vis-à-vis installation of common STP's, is quite genuine and just which would really help to save the environment. He said the hoteliers have been pushed to shut down their units adding that KEA expresses complete support to the two day strike being observed by the hoteliers. KEA is an amalgam of more than one dozen general traders, hoteliers, houseboat owners, transporters and other associations. |
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