The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has raised concerns over wastewater treatment at the major tannery clusters in Jajmau, Unnao and Banther. The watchdog has informed the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) about the non-compliance of these units.
On September 18, CPCB directed UPPCB to take strict action to ensure all tanneries follow proper water treatment norms.
The letter from CPCB member secretary Bharat Kumar Sharma called for a surveillance team to monitor units connected to the common effluent treatment plants (CETPs) in these clusters.
UPPCB has been asked to prepare a time-bound action plan with tannery stakeholders to improve CETP operations and meet the environment ministry’s standards.
Kanpur, Unnao and Banther host over 300 tannery units and are major centers for leather exports in North India.
All units are required to perform primary treatment of effluent before sending it to the CETPs to prevent pollution of the Ganga river. The Jajmau CETP, costing Rs 617 crore with a 20 million-litre-per-day capacity, was commissioned last August.
“It is evident that the CETPs located at tannery clusters of Jajmau, Banther and Unnao in Uttar Pradesh are not operated and maintained properly to comply with the treated effluent discharge norms. These CETPs are neither meeting inlet effluent quality standards prescribed by UPPCB nor treated effluent quality norms of common effluent treatment plants”
Bharat Kumar Sharma, CPCB Member Secretary
During an inspection on July 23, the Jajmau CETP failed to meet treated effluent standards for biological oxygen demand (BOD) and total dissolved solids (TDS). The TDS levels were found to be five times above the limit. High BOD levels indicate heavy pollution that can harm aquatic life.
CPCB also reported that industrial effluent entering the CETPs did not meet standards for total suspended solids and chromium, showing that primary treatment at the tannery units is not being done properly.
The Jajmau CETP has failed compliance checks for BOD, chemical oxygen demand and TDS in three inspections since last year.
Its common chrome recovery unit of 900 kilolitre per day capacity was non-operational due to insufficient exhaust chrome liquor. The unit is crucial for reducing chromium pollution and recycling chromium used in tanning.
The CPCB has urged immediate corrective measures to bring these tanneries and CETPs in line with environmental standards and protect the Ganga from industrial pollution.
source – Indian express
