Tanneries’ Pollution in Palar River

Context:

Recently, the Supreme Court of India issued directions to curb tanneries’ pollution in the Palar River.

Relevance:
GS-03 (Conservation)

Supreme Court orders on tannery pollution:

  • The Supreme Court upheld the “Precautionary Principal” and “Polluter Pays Principle” to complement the ideals of sustainable development.
  • Meanwhile, the Supreme Court directed the state government to compensate the affected individuals from the polluters as per the “Polluter Pays Principle.”.

Palar river pollution due to tanneries:

  • It is a river in South India that flows through the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
  • It originates in the Nandhi Hills of Karnataka.
  • The Palar River is heavily polluted by tanneries, which release untreated chemicals directly into the river.
  • Tanneries are those factories in which animal hides are processed to make leather.
  • The discharges from the tanneries even include heavy metals such as chromium, causing irreversible damage to the water body.

Supreme Court’s judgement on industrial pollution in India:

  • Recently, it reaffirmed the right to clean the environment as one of the fundamental rights under Article 21.
  • It highlighted the right to basic environmental elements like air, water, and soil and considered anything that disrupts this right to be a violation of Article 21.

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