Clean Ganga mission – 700 tanneries of Kanpur pollute the River Ganges

#tanneries #kanpur #cleanganga #pollution The Clean Ganga mission is a mission that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to pursue with vigor and he has named Uma Bharati as the minister who should follow up and ensure implementation. But, the extent of pollution due to the tanneries in Kanpur, situated on the banks of the Ganges, poses a major challenge.
In this context, the warning of the National Green Tribunal has come not a day too soon – it has warned of complete closure of 700 tanneries in Kanpur located on the banks of the Rive Ganges because these are one of the "highest sources of pollution". These pollutants were injurious to human health and bio-diversity apart from ecology of the river.
Moreover, the tribunal has also observed that unless effective steps are taken to curb the pollution level then the tanneries would be closed because the lives of millions who reside in the region would be in anger and that should not happen.
The NGT is serious about the matter and a bench, headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, has issued directions for inspection of the entire tannery industrial cluster. This should be undertaken by a team consisting of reps of Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) and National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA).
The bench was quite clear on what was needed - life of millions cannot be put at stake for carrying out a commercial activity of a group of individuals and a proper balance must be maintained between development and environment.