Tanneries in Unnao violating pollution norms, UP tells green tribunal

Industrial effluents, containing high concentration of chromium, from tanneries in Unnao is polluting the Ganga, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday. The NGT’s principal bench is currently hearing the case regarding industrial pollution in the Ganga on a daily basis.

The five-member bench, headed by justice Swatanter Kumar, was examining the deficiencies in the functioning of effluent treatment plants, especially those in tannery clusters. The counsel for UPPCB informed the bench that there are 400 tanneries in Kanpur that discharged their effluents into the Jajmau drain, one of the most polluted drains along the Ganga. When the bench asked the counsel for tanning industries about the functioning of the Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP), he replied that it is largely functioning well.

However, UPPCB informed the bench that a joint inspection of the CETP done with the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, had revealed that the effluents discharged contained pollutants above permissible limits. “Learned counsel for UPPCB said that special committee that included IIT-Kanpur and CPCB analyzed trade effluents from CETP’s (in Unnao). They violated BOD, COD, total chromium and TDS norms. Both CETP’s are not performing to desirable levels, and are a major source of passing pollutants into drains,” the bench said.

BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) levels indicated the health of water. Lower levels are indications of a healthy water body while higher levels indicate that the water body is polluted.