The Union government is planning to shift the tanneries out of Kanpur as the effluent discharge from these is one of the major causes of pollution of the river Ganga.
Although setting up effluent treatment plants can solve the pollution problem along other stretches of the river, in Kanpur, there are too many units which are difficult to connect with a common treatment plant. Monitoring adherence to rules is also difficult in this congested area.
Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharati pointed out that Ganga is among the 10 dirtiest rivers in the world and Kanpur is the dirtiest stretch along this river. “So, you can imagine just how grave the situation is,'' she said.
The ministry will hold meetings with the Yogi Adityanath government this week to work out a plan to tackle the tannery pollution problem. “We stopped the connections of the Kali and Ramganga rivers into the Ganga here; so we were able to tackle the pollution from various other industries...But in Kanpur itself, we will have to take some severe decisions,” the minister said.
During the meetings with the UP government, there will be discussions on alternative sites to move the tanneries, providing compensation to affected parties and steps to be taken to ensure that the move doesn't affect the livelihood of people.
To a query on possible protest by tannery owners and workers, the minister said the tanneries exist because of the river. “If the river itself is killed off, the tanneries would flounder anyway. We have to think of viable alternatives,” she said.
Uttar Pradesh has been one of the major obstacle areas in the Centre's 'clean Ganga mission'. However, the Union government's plans have gained momentum after the party came to power in the state earlier this year.
