Kolkata: Kanpur tanneries were keen to setup units in West Bengal and are also looking for lands in the same due to a problem of sourcing raw materials in Uttar Pradesh. About 20-25 tanneries have developed interest to open their units in Bengal to the problem of raw materials.
President of “ Calcutta Leather Complex Tanners Association “, Mr Rmesh Juneja informed the Press Trust of India that the owners of these tanneries are looking for land for taking over the existing units.
“It is said that the government will also offer all kinds of support to accommodate such tanneries in West Bengal, “claimed State MSME Secretary Rajiva Sinha. Mr Juneja said that the Calcutta leather complex currently has about 350 tanners and leather processors and that it cannot offer land for running new units due to restrictions in the effluent treatment capacity in the complex.
The State Government has also proposed to new treatment plans which will open scope for 250 additional units to set up an operate in West Bengal. Also, rupees 200 crore will be provided by the Government of West Bengal over the period of 2 years to modernize the complex. Mr Sinha also stated that the DPR for the project was under weigh. He further claimed that, “to overcome waste management and effluent treatment problems in the leather complex, we are modernizing the existing four plants and installing two new plants at a cost of rupees 60 crore as also part of it.
Out of the total 1,100 acre leather complex, 970 acres worth of land is available for leather activity. About 325 wet tanneries and 39 leather units operate out of this zone. The West Bengal leather industry, which is estimated rupees 1300 crore and includes exports of around rupees 7000 crore is expected to get a boost if the tanneries of Kanpur open their units in the state of West Bengal.
Reference:
Press Trust of India. (2017, April 30). Kanpur’s Leather Tanneries Look To Move To Bengal As Raw Materials Dry Up. Retrieved from https://www.ndtv.com/business/kanpurs-leather-tanneries-look-to-move-to-bengal-as-raw-materials-dry-up-1687740
