Enforcement of zero-liquid discharge norms in Kanpur tanneries helps curb pollution in Ganga across Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh government on Friday (July 3, 2026) said the construction of the Jajmau Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) in Kanpur, interception of the Sisamau drain, expansion of municipal sewage treatment infrastructure in Kanpur and enforcement of zero-liquid-discharge norms for tanneries significantly reduced the industrial pollution load entering the Ganga river in Uttar Pradesh.

Kanpur’s Jajmau tannery belt is significant as it is surveyed as the largest single point source of industrial pollution on the Ganga main stem. All these regulatory measures introduced under the Namami Gange, the flagship river conservation programme.

“Jajmau CETP, which has a treatment capacity of 20 MLD, was inaugurated in December 2023 and is now fully operational. This facility processes tannery effluent that contains chromium, organic loads, and dyes prior to its discharge. Additionally, it has been enhanced by the interception of the Sisamau drain, which previously released approximately 140 MLD of untreated sewage and industrial effluent directly into the Ganga. They indicated that the water quality in the Kanpur stretch has seen significant improvement, although challenges persist, ”told Anurag Srivastava, Additional Chief Secretary, Namami Ganga and Rural Drinking Water Supply Department, Uttar Pradesh, to The Hindu.

“The Kanpur stretch represents a partial success that is still ongoing process. While BOD levels have decreased considerably, the bathing-quality standards have yet to be met in the Farrukhabad-to-Purana Rajapur sub-stretch,” said Joginder Singh, Project Director of the State Mission for Clean Ganga.

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Mr. Singh, a 2015-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and Special Secretary, Namami Ganga and Rural Water Supply added, “In addition to Kanpur, a significant intervention has also been implemented in Mathura, where a 6.5 MLD CETP has been completed and is now operational.

This project caters to industrial units in the region, including those associated with the Mathura Refinery as well as chemical and dye manufacturing facilities. Under this system, every grossly polluting industry (GPI) within the basin is subject to an annual inspection conducted by a third party, with the findings submitted to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the relevant State Pollution Control Boards.

Industries that do not comply face environmental compensation penalties, and in cases of repeated infractions, closure orders may be issued. The CPCB also performs unannounced inspections, especially during the monsoon season and festivals, when there has historically been a spike in industrial discharges that have gone unrecorded,”.