Dehradun, July 10 -- The National Green Tribunal (NGT) principal bench in Delhi has directed the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board (UKPCB) to strictly verify the Consent to Operate (CTO) status of 49 hotels accused of violating environmental norms, making it clear that no establishment should be allowed to function without valid statutory clearances.

The directions were issued by a bench comprising NGT chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member Afroz Ahmad during the hearing of an original application filed by Kartik Sharma on July 7.

The Tribunal directed the UKPCB to file a fresh compliance report within six weeks detailing the action taken against the 49 hotels, including the status of environmental compensation proc...