More than 30 five-star hotels in the Capital expressed their commitment to preserve the environment and have agreed to comply with the ‘Green Hotel Guidelines’. A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Delhi Government’s Department of Environment and 32 five-star hotels on Monday.
According to the MoU, the hotels are expected to set up a dedicated sewage treatment plant, explore the possibility for re-utilisation of treated waste water to achieve the objective of zero discharge, install solar water heating system for water heating, provide decentralised facilities and equipment for conversion of organic solid waste into compost with bio-fuel and develop a green belt to create a buffer zone from the main roads by September 30. By this month, however, the hotels are expected to convert from oil fired boilers to natural gas boilers wherever gas is available and comply with other issues such as energy auditing, water auditing, and application of renewable energy by March 2014.
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit exhorted the hotels to complete their obligations by the prescribed deadlines. She also said that after December 2013, other big buildings and restaurants will also be brought under the ambit of such an MoU. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee will monitor the process as per set parameters. She expressed happiness that some five-star hotels have already been utilising solar power and recycling their waste.
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