A standoff has emerged between the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) and the Hotel & Restaurant Association of Andhra Pradesh (HRAAP) over the environmental classification of the hospitality sector.
While the APPSB has begun cracking down on non-compliance, hoteliers are questioning the scientific basis of labelling them as “high-risk” polluters.
The conflict has intensified with the APPCB recently issuing notices to numerous hotels for failing to install the mandated wastewater treatment plants as per the guidelines.
According to a regional environmental official, the compliance rate in the city remains dismal.
“Hardly 20 to 25 hotels, with above 20 beds, mostly star hotels, in Visakhapatnam have complied with the norms such as installing treatment plants. We have issued notices to the remaining to ensure strict adherence to the guidelines,” APPCB environmental engineer P.V. Mukunda Rao told The Hindu.
Leading the protest against the ‘Red Category’ tag, a classification usually reserved for hazardous industries like chemical plants and tanneries, HRAAP president M.V. Pavan Kartheek argues that the label is fundamentally flawed.
“Treating hotels as high-polluters is scientifically inaccurate. We are a service-oriented sector. Our waste, primarily domestic sewage and kitchen leftovers, is comparable to that of large residential apartments and can be managed through standard treatments,” said Mr. Kartheek.
The association says that many legacy hotels located in congested urban pockets do not have the physical space to install the massive infrastructure required under the ‘Red Category’ norm.
These “mismatched regulations” are causing severe financial strain on a sector that is the primary driver of State tourism and employment, it argues.
In a representation to the State government, HRAAP and the Andhra Pradesh Star Hotels’ Association (ASHA) have proposed a shift to the ‘Green Category’.
They want the PCB to have a structured compliance for large hotels (100+rooms) such as mandatory functioning of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) and scientific waste segregation.
The association members have sought a meeting with APPCB Chairman Krishnaiah to present a scientific regulatory model. They maintain that the industry is committed to being ecofriendly, but requires a “fair system” that supports the growth of hospitality rather than stifling it through industrial-grade mandates.
Published – February 07, 2026 06:20 pm IST
