River basin contamination by India's leather manufacturing sector
In January 2023, India's Supreme Court handed down a landmark ruling, holding tanneries in Vellore district accountable for causing "irreversible damage" to water bodies, groundwater, and agricultural lands. Since then, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has been tasked with addressing the issue, but progress has been slow.
The tanneries in question discharge an estimated 20 million litres of effluent each day, much of it untreated, and 100,000 tonnes of salt annually. This pollution has far-reaching effects, with the Palar River, a vital source of drinking water for 50 villages and 30 towns, being severely affected. Over 15,000 hectares of land in the region are affected by high total dissolved solids, and nearly 11,000 hectares of previously fertile farmland have lost their productivity.
Chromium, a key component in leather processing, has been detected in leather products from Tamil Nadu at levels exceeding legal limits. Exposure to chromium VI, a carcinogenic form of chromium, can lead to respiratory diseases, skin ulcers, kidney malfunction, and even lung cancer. In polluted areas, chromium VI levels in water can reach 3000-3500 mg/litre, well above the safe limit of 50 mg/litre.
The TNPCB has been accused of being inadequate in its enforcement, with activists reporting that many tanneries still discharge untreated toxic effluent directly into the Palar River, especially during monsoon seasons. The TNPCB operates 13 centralized tannery waste-treatment plants, which process between 125,000 and 250,000 litres of effluent daily. However, these plants' capacity and maintenance are considered inadequate by environmental groups, and enforcement of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 regulations is not stringent enough to prevent violations.
Around 35% of India's leather export earnings come from 449 tanneries in the Palar River basin, generating about INR 15 billion (US$172 million) annually and employing 50,000 people. Despite the economic importance of these tanneries, their environmental impact cannot be ignored. Farmers in the area report a decrease in crop production and quality, as well as an increase in water salinity due to tannery pollution.
The Supreme Court has mandated the creation of an environmental commission to oversee compliance with its ruling and ordered the Tamil Nadu government to compensate affected families and recover costs from the tanneries in accordance with the "polluter pays" principle. However, the Loss of Ecology Authority (LEA), a government body formed to address environmental damages, compensated Tamil Nadu farmers for water pollution caused by tanneries between 1998 to 2005 but no compensation has been granted since then, and the LEA was dissolved in 2016.
In summary, the ongoing pollution of the Palar River by tanneries in Vellore district is a serious concern. Despite the Supreme Court's ruling and the TNPCB's efforts, pollution control measures have not yet translated into effective on-the-ground pollution reduction or strict enforcement. The health and environmental impacts continue to be reported, highlighting the urgent need for more effective action.
[1] Source: India Today [2] Source: The Hindu
- The landmark ruling by India's Supreme Court in January 2023, aimed at addressing water security, has been hampered by slow progress due to the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board's (TNPCB) inadequate enforcement.
- Addressing water pollution and securing health-and-wellness are essential components of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, and the environmental policy needs to be strengthened to ensure compliance.
- Science and environmental-science have a crucial role in identifying pollution sources and suggesting effective strategies to tackle the pollution challenges in the leather industry.
- Financial support and stringent environmental regulations are necessary to upgrade the infrastructure of the tannery waste-treatment plants and enforce the Environment Protection Act, thereby improving India's water security and promoting sustainable industry growth.
