Summary:
Initially we were told that the government would consider re-opening them after the shahi snan in the beginning of February. However, officials were unable to say when orders were likely to be passed.“The Rs 30,000 crore leather industry of Kanpur, an industry recognised across the world, has almost collapsed because all tanneries have been shut since the past three months. Since then, there has been no information from them. If the tanneries were closed due to pollution and not Kumbh, why would the government think of re-opening them since nothing has changed on ground,” said Alam.Hafizur Rehman, the president of the small tanners association, told TOI that tanneries have also been closed during Kumbh to ensure a cleaner Ganga at Allahabad but that they were closed by rotation.For this Kumbh, he said, the government shut down all tanneries in one go for an extended period of time.Interestingly, it is the government’s responsibility to provide infrastructure for treatment of waste and it accepts that the current arrangement is not sufficient.The steps being put in place, like a new common effluent treatment plant in Jajmau and a mega leather cluster park at Ramaipur, will not be ready for at least another two years. LUCKNOW: It has been a week since Kumbh came to an end, but for leather tannery owners in Kanpur, Unnao and Banthar, whose units were shut down between November and December ostensibly because they were found to be violating environment norms and polluting the Ganga, there is still no word on when they will be allowed to start operations again.The tanneries were closed down by the UP Pollution Control Board under Section 32 of The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, said Dr Firoz Alam, executive member of the Small Tanners Association, which allows the pollution control board to take emergency action.Notices were served to tannery owners reportedly because they had failed to pay bills towards the running of the central effluent treatment plant and a National Green Tribunal order on Ganga pollution but tannery owners and exporters claim that the action was prompted by the Kumbh.TOI has learnt that the matter of re-opening the tanneries, having been cleared by the urban development ministry, is pending with the environment department after which it will be sent to the CM’s office for final clearance..