Zero-liquid discharge enforcement cuts Ganga pollution from Kanpur tanneries

The Uttar Pradesh government announced on Friday (July 3, 2026) that a combination of measures — including the commissioning of a common effluent treatment plant, interception of a major drain, expansion of municipal sewage treatment, and strict enforcement of zero-liquid-discharge norms for tanneries — has substantially reduced the industrial pollution load entering the Ganga river in the state.

Kanpur’s Jajmau tannery belt, identified as the largest single-point source of industrial pollution on the Ganga’s main stem, has been a focus of the Namami Gange river conservation programme. The Jajmau Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP), with a capacity of 20 million litres per day (MLD), became fully operational after its inauguration in December 2023. It treats tannery effluent containing chromium, organic loads, and dyes before discharge.

An additional intervention was the interception of the Sisamau drain, which previously released approximately 140 MLD of untreated sewage and industrial effluent directly into the river. Anurag Srivastava, Additional Chief Secretary of the Namami Gange and Rural Drinking Water Supply Department, Uttar Pradesh, told The Hindu that water quality in the Kanpur stretch has improved significantly, though challenges remain.

Joginder Singh, Project Director of the State Mission for Clean Ganga, noted: “The Kanpur stretch represents a partial success that is still an ongoing process. While BOD [biochemical oxygen demand] levels have decreased considerably, the bathing-quality standards have yet to be met in the Farrukhabad-to-Purana Rajapur sub-stretch.” Singh is a 2015-batch Indian Administrative Service officer and Special Secretary in the same department.

In Mathura, a 6.5 MLD CETP has been completed and is operational, catering to industrial units including those linked to the Mathura Refinery and chemical and dye manufacturing facilities. Under the regulatory framework, every grossly polluting industry (GPI) within the Ganga basin is subject to an annual third-party inspection, with findings submitted to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and relevant state boards.

Non-compliant industries face environmental compensation penalties, and repeated violations can lead to closure orders. The CPCB also conducts unannounced inspections, particularly during monsoon and festival periods, when industrial discharges have historically spiked and gone unrecorded.

While the measures represent progress, officials acknowledge that full restoration of the river to bathing-quality standards in certain stretches remains a work in progress.