Leather units likely to open in two months in Jalandhar

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 29

Even as most manufacturers have opened up after two months of lockdown, there is one sector which is yet to start operations — tanneries.

Ever since the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered shutdown of tanneries on October 29, all 61 units based at Leather Complex on Kapurthala Road are lying closed. But now, these units are seeing a glimmer of hope.

Parveen Kumar, president, Punjab Leather Federation (PLF), is quite optimistic.

“The construction of a new dilution/polishing tank at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore has been started by the government which will be over by July 10. The court had issued directions to set up the tank in the last hearing as it can help reduce the total dissolved solid (TDS) and come to a level as stipulated by the PPCB norms. Once the tank is constructed and the TDS value of discharged water falls in permissible levels, the court might allow us to resume operations by the next hearing that falls on July 16, “ he said.

He said: “The water that falls into the Kala Sanghian drain where TDS is checked includes both industrial effluent as well as sewage discharge of the area. The TDS of effluent from the tanneries was last found to be between 12,000 to 13,000 PPM while the TDS of the sullage flowing from the sewage treatment plant at the adjoining Basti Peer Daad was found to be 500-600 PPM. We have a 3MLD discharge while that of the STP is 20 MLD. As per the norms of the PPCB, the TDS of the effluent discharged from both sources should not be over 2,100 PPM, which will be achievable when the dilution tank starts working.”

The PLF president said: “This was the only parameter on which we were lacking. We had told the court that our industry is exempted from issues concerning TDS values since we had our CETP installed. But the court wanted us to find a solution to the problem which has finally happened.”

Asked how tannery owners were managing with their operations shut for so long, he said: “We are get the leather processed from other centres in the country, including UP and Kolkata. The cost goes higher but we have to continue on and somehow meet demands of our buyers. Afterall, we too need to make some income and take care of our families.”