McLeodganj: Strong action by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in Kasauli is causing a ripple effect in McLeodganj, where hoteliers are facing the heat for violating construction norms. Apparently, for the first time, power and water supply to 10 prime hotels in the area has been disconnected. The civic bodies have a list more than 70 property of the area which have violated norms.

Many hoteliers in McLeodganj have constructed five to seven storey buildings, endangering the ecology of the area. However, no action at this scale was taken against them in several years.

Dharamshala municipal commissioner Lalit Jain said that apart from the 10 hotels, more than 60 others are under their lens. On an average, the civic body issues orders against two properties daily after thorough scrutiny.

“We have ordered disconnection of power and water supply to the hotels that had done constructions in violation of the norms,“ said Jain.Hoteliers were told to deposit the approved maps by town and country planning department, completion certificates, and clearance certificates from the state pollution control board but they have failed to do so.

Earlier this year, the state government had brought in a regularization policy, under which all commercial and personal properties that flouted the construction norms would have escaped punishment by paying some compounding fee. However, the policy was stayed by the Himachal Pradesh high court.

Many hoteliers in McLeodganj have constructed five to seven storey buildings, endangering the ecology of the area. However, no action at this scale was taken against them in several years.

In Kasauli, the NGT had issued notices to 72 hotels.Recently, it ordered six of them to demolish the illegal parts and slapped fine ranging from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 15 lakh on seven hotels in all.The NGT had also fined some government officers for laxity. Cases of rest of the hotels would come up soon.