EIA, after\nits introduction in 1994, has worked to ensure sustained development in the\ncountry. The existing version of the EIA process was issued on September 14,\n2006, that brought out structural changes in the Environment clearance\nmechanism for 39 identified industries, including the leather \/skin\/hide\nprocessing industry. Leather processing includes stages associated with\nconsuming large amounts of water and generating solid and liquid wastes. Therefore,\nEIA for the Leather processing industry was\nintroduced as a regulatory mechanism for this highly polluting yet crucial\nbusiness. The wastewaters from the industry contain abundant inorganic and\norganic compounds such as chloride, ammonia, chromium, sulfide and sulfate. The\nprocess involves a sequence of complex chemical reactions and mechanical pre-\nand post-treatment processes. As the industry’s demand varies, so has the\nprocess that has evolved with time to include more and more processing\nactivities to give specific characteristics to finished leather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most\npolluting part of leather processing is tanning. Pre-tanning and tanning\ncontribute about 90% of the pollution caused by the leather industry. These\nsteps are performed in facilities called tanneries, and the leather industry is\nheavily dependent on these. The most commonly used industrial tanning method is\nbased on chromium, a heavy metal that in large amounts, can be dangerous to\nboth humans and the environment. In this article, we will understand how the\ngovernment has tried to balance development and environment conservation by\nmandating EIA for Leather processing industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n