The Issues in Leather Industry....A case study of Kasur

Leather industry in Kasur provides bread and butter to more than 20,000 leather workers in Kasur. It has also the credit of providing good quality leather goods at cheaper rate as compared to open markets. Although the industry is a source of earning permanent subsistence to the leather workers but on the other hand, it is also causing gigantic problems for the leather workers and all of the local inhabitants. If we look at the whole picture, it is horrifying, as the people of Kasur are suffering from different problems which include environmental challenge in the form of ground water contamination that causes so many adverse and severe diseases.

Ground water contamination is the biggest of the problems because it is used for all sorts of purposes, i.e., drinking, cooking, washing and irrigation etc. In these conditions the leather workers and the poor people of Kasur have no way out except to use that dangerous toxic ground water. Apart from this, there are some other problems which have their origin in leather industry and are disturbing the poor human beings very badly. These problems are poor solid waste management, air emissions and noise pollution etc.

The leather industry is situated right amongst the urban settlements. In this kind of situation, the above mentioned problems take a step further towards devastation.

If we try to seek the reasons for these problems, we will come to know that all this is due to miss-management and negligence on the part of government as well as the tannery owners and the local administration. They are not serious to solve these problems and nobody is there to take any responsibility of it. The role of the local political representatives in this regard is also disappointing. It can not be said that the political leaders of Kasur are not influential at the federal or higher levels or they have no ability to convey their messages to the government regarding environmental problems of Kasur. Barrister Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri and Sardar Asif Ahmed Ali are the main political leaders of Kasur and both of them have been the foreign ministers of the state of Pakistan in different eras. They have not fulfilled their responsibilities as political representatives of the area properly.

Bureaucracy or administrative bodies have not pondered upon these issues as well. There is no progressive development or policy to solve the problems of the people of Kasur and to introduce any reforms for leather industry so that it can work according to the environment friendly conditions. In this way, the tannery owners are also no exception. They are mainly responsible for the problems caused by their industries. They only think about their capital and multiplying their money. They do not care about the health problems – caused by their industry-- of their workers and the local inhabitants. Due to the above mentioned reasons, Kasur city has reached that worst position and the stage has come that the people of Kasur cannot afford to face those precarious conditions anymore.

The Government of Pakistan along with the political workers should feel their responsibilities and there should be a comprehensive programme on emergency basis to save the tannery workers and the local dwellers of Kasur city. The government should impose strict observation on any kind of project or program i.e. waste management or chemical recycling etc. The program should be very efficient and it should not fail like KTWMA (Kasur Tannery waste management agency) project.

There should be training workshops for the leather workers and for the other effectees to increase awareness about hygienic and unhygienic conditions. Government should try to shift leather industry from urban area of Kasur to any outside area.

Some NGO’s and social organizations are working on these issues but their progress is very slow because that is a big environmental problem and without the help of the government, it cannot be solved. The reason may be that its rehabilitation requires big amount of money.

The seepage of contaminated and toxic leather effluent is so dangerous that it may have its severe effects for 300 years in the future even if some serious steps are taken today. So, the issue needs urgent attention of all the concerned ones otherwise the future of the people working in leather industries and the inhabitants of the locale, is not safe, at all.