The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Leather industry urged to clean up its act

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 28, 2007
ePaper


<SCRIPT language='JavaScript1.1' SRC="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/N4322.hinduonline/B2155503.3;abr=!ie;sz=468x60;ord=[timestamp]?"> </SCRIPT> <NOSCRIPT> <A HREF="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/N4322.hinduonline/B2155503.3;abr=!ie4;abr=!ie5;sz=468x60;ord=[timestamp]?"> <IMG SRC="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/N4322.hinduonline/B2155503.3;abr=!ie4;abr=!ie5;sz=468x60;ord=[timestamp]?" BORDER=0 WIDTH=468 HEIGHT=60 ALT="Click Here"></A> </NOSCRIPT>

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Leather industry urged to clean up its act

Staff Reporter

"Sorting out environmental issues will aid expansion plans" "Sorting out environmental issues will aid expansion plans"

CHENNAI: The Indian leather industry must invest in clean technologies to pave the way for growth was the common refrain, as the leather research industry get-together began in Chennai on Saturday.

President of the All-India Skin and Hide Tanners and Merchants Association Rafeeque Ahmed asked tanneries and leather manufacturers to make the changes needed for eco-friendly production, even if it was costly.

Pointing to the Ambur cluster, which is putting in Rs. 75 crore to ensure its tanneries will be ecologically safe for the next 20 years, he said: "This is a one-time investment. We need to get environmental issues out of the way in the next one year, so that we can go ahead with expansion plans."

The Indian leather industry was gearing to take on the world with even better environmental standards than those followed in the European nations.

Tamil Nadu model

Acknowledging the commitment shown by tanneries in the State, Sukumar Devotta, director of the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, said: "The kind of investment being made [on eco-friendly technologies] in Tamil Nadu is not seen in other parts of the country... the challenge today is to see that the Tamil Nadu model is followed across India."

S.P. Elangovan, formerly with the Ministry of Environment and Forests in Tamil Nadu, hoped the leather industry would "grab the opportunity offered by the leather technology upgradation fund" to develop and adopt eco-friendly technologies.

Zackria Sait, president of the Indian Finished Leather Manufacturers and Exporters Association, welcomed the progress made in meeting zero-discharge standards. He asked leather manufacturers to pay their employees on a par with other industries to woo the one million workers needed to meet the expansion goals.

Mr. Sait also criticised PETA for its leather industry bashing. "PETA should go and tackle the meat industry. Don't train your guns on soft targets."

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu