DEMAND TO FORM UNIFORM POLICY FOR TREATMENT OF EFFLUENTS FROM TANNERIES IN THE COUNTRY
T.K. RANGARAJAN : Sir, on 30th January this year 10 persons lost their life in Ranipet, in Tamil Nadu, due to collapse of an effluent tank. The sludge is collected from tanneries. The tank is maintained by SIDCO, a Government company, which has showed total negligence in maintenance. Besides these dangers, tanneries pollute ground water in view of the toxic waste from them being released without treatment. This is happening in all States where tanneries are established. Sir, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh together have 88 per cent of the tannery units of the country. About 55 per cent of the total leather processed in the country is from Tamil Nadu. The tanneries in Pallavaram and Chrompet are very old. There are about 152 tanneries in and around this place. However, based on certain specific details available from Pallavaram in the city of Chennai, 22 ground water samples were collected from this place and analyzed. The study revealed that the ground water is unsustainable for human consumption. Water pollution not only affects human beings but also animals, birds and aquatic life. The reason is letting out untreated tannery water in open drains, solid waste dump pits and nearby land. The Government should evolve a uniform policy for treatment of effluents from tanneries and should make it mandatory for all tanneries to adopt the same at the earliest. This is urgently needed to save the life of people residing near tanneries. (Ends)