Deadlock over shifting Jajmau tanneries continues

Initially,UPSIDC had proposed to set up a new industrial park in Banther area of Unnao district to accommodate Jajmau tanneries. After the farmers of the area refused to give their land for the project,the state development corporation recommended Dibiyapur area of Auraiya and Khemchepur area of Farrukhabad for shifting of the tanneries.

Managing director of UPSIDC,SK Verma,said: “We had some problems in acquiring the land at Unnao and so we recommended two other sites to the government. He said they have 200 acres of land at Dibiyapur and 180 acres at Khemchepur which is sufficient to set up an industrial park in any of the districts.”

The UP Director of Industries,Mohammad Iftkaruddin,said: “We had a meeting with various tannery associations on Tuesday and they have been apprised about the UPSIDC sites at Auraiya and Farrukhabad.” He said a formal reply from tannery associations is still awaited.

On the other end,according to the treasurer of Jajmau Tannery Association,Ishtehak Ahmed,the tannery owners were against the shifting. He said UPSIDC and UPPCB should rather focus on developing an industrial park at Jajmau. “If they are willing to give us better facilities at Auraiya and Farrukhabad,then why it is not being done at Jajmau?” he asked.

The general secretary of the JTA,Shahid Hussain,said it was not feasible for tannery owners to create a new base at Dibiyapur area of Auraiya district which is around 100 km from Kanpur. “Most of the tanneries at Jajmau are small in size and they cannot afford to shift to another district,” he said. The regional officer of the UPPCB,Radhey Shyam,said tanneries of Jajmau have often been found guilty of discharging effluents directly in the river Ganga. “Recently,we recommended closure of seven tanneries,whereas 12 other tanneries were issued the last warning on August 31,” he said. He further said that in the past few years 65 tanneries have been sealed.

On March 26,Allahabad High Court had ordered the state government to shift the tanneries of Jajmau to bring down the industrial pollution level of river Ganga.