Effluent Treatment Plant Built to Address Pollution From Kanpur Leather Factories

In the 2015 documentary film The True Cost, the city of Kanpur, India’s leather export capital, is highlighted for its tanneries’ role in causing toxic pollution. 

The film notes that the city, known for producing cheap leather for Western brands, suffers severe pollution from the discharge of more than 50 million litres of toxic wastewater daily into local water sources, including the sacred Ganga River.

The documentary uses powerful imagery to highlight serious health issues for residents, including an increased risk of skin issues, stomach ailments, and even cancer due to the chemicals used in the leather treatment. 

For decades, leather tanneries in Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh) that process animal hides into leather goods have been among the most significant sources of pollution for the Ganga.

Tanneries in Kanpur, particularly those situated in the Jajmau leather cluster, are home to hundreds of tanneries that discharge untreated, chemical-laden effluents, putting immense pressure on the river’s health.

In November 2019, the National Green Tribunal fined tanneries Rs 280 crores (~US$32 million) for discharging toxic chromium-laden wastewater into the Ganges.

In a significant development to address this long-standing problem at its source, a Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) has been built in Jajmau, Kanpur. 

The CETP was constructed by the Chennai-based water treatment company VA Tech Wabag under the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) of the Government of India.

The NMCG is the implementing agency for the Namami Gange program, focusing on a comprehensive approach to rejuvenating the Ganges River. It undertakes various initiatives to reduce pollution and restore the river’s ecological balance.

A 20 million litre per day (MLD) Common Effluent Treatment Plant will treat wastewater from 340 tanneries to reduce pollution and restore the Ganga river ecological balance. 

Built on the Activated Sludge Process (ASP), the treatment plant ensures that complex industrial effluents are scientifically treated and not passed on to the river.

The facility employs a multistage treatment process, including physical, biological, and advanced tertiary processes, with a common chrome recovery unit that converts hazardous waste into recoverable resources. Additionally, a Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) pilot will push towards maximum water recovery and reuse.