The Leather hub of India, Kanpur is in distress. The economy of Kanpur which contributes 4% to UP’s GDP has fallen apart due to a slew of factors which has resulted in the decimation of the leather industry.

The Yogi Adityanath Factor

The arrival of the new CM has spelled doom for the slaughter houses. The order for the closure of illegal slaughter houses by him has dealt a huge blow to the leather industry.

On top of that, the government’s rule which prohibits people from selling their animals to slaughterhouses has put the nail in the coffin for the already stressed economy.

Gau- Raksha

The government’s propaganda on cow slaughter reeks confusion and violence. If someone happens to skin an animal and wants to transport the hide, the so-called Gau Rakshas starts shouting ‘Gau humari maata hai” without an iota of an idea of what they seem to preach. The high number of deaths resulting from such senselessness is just absurd.

Muslims And Dalits Targeted

It is not a difficult morse code to break and understand that BJP is at the helm of powers in UP and the worst sufferers due to crackdown on slaughter houses, inconsistent environment regulations, and Hindu vigilantism is the Muslims and the Dalits.

The owners of the majority of slaughterhouses are Muslims and the labor community consists of Dalits mostly. They are in a sorry state, to say the least.

National Green Tribunal

It is common knowledge that the tanning industry indulges in huge pollution through the use of a high quantity of effluents in organic and inorganic dissolved and suspended solid content.

Earlier the sewage was sent to the government treatment plant before being discharged into the Ganges and it costed just a mere Rs. 5 per hide. But now the government is hell bent on using Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) technology which costs Rs. 280 per hide which the tanneries cannot afford at all.

It has resulted to the shutdown of 128 out of Kanpur’s 400 tanneries.

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An illegal leather scrap dumping yard located few meters away from Ganges in Kanpur. The chromium contaminated scraps are burnt to dust to produce raw materials for fertilizers and chicken food. Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. Credits: Arindam Mukherjee

Demonetisation

Demonetization had a debilitating effect on Kanpur’s marquee industry. The biggies utilized their old currency in buying raw materials at an inflated price but the smaller ones had no choice but to spend that time frivolously. They had to lay off most of their laborers as there wasn’t much work to be done. Unemployment and no production was common in the months of November and December.

Global Factors

Large scale industry revolution, slowing down of the European economies and the increase in large mechanized slaughterhouses have all contributed to the decline in the leather industry of Kanpur.

The future of Kanpur’s leather industry looks bleak and is on the verge of total shutdown. If proper measures aren’t taken place in time, we might witness large scale migration and Kanpur’s economy will forever be disabled.

Image Credits- Google Images


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