There
was a time when owning a tannery in Dharavi was a profitable business,
but since the ban on tanning within the city limits came into effect in
1996, business has dwindled drastically. While illegal trade continued,
in the year 2000, this too was packed up for good.
As per
the then rules of Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), the
tanning process in the city caused tremendous air and water pollution.
Hence, a ban was imposed and the business was to be shifted beyond city
limits. Though this has not happened yet, the business has anyway
suffered. The tannery owners, for one, were unwilling to shift; workers
cited transportation problems and housing facilities were absent, and
the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) was unwilling
to pay any heed.
Today,
tanneries that carry out the second part of producing finished leather
viz. reprocessing, still function. But those that convert raw hide into
tanned leather, have been stopped. Tanned leather is purchased from
Chennai, Kanpur, Kolkata, etc. Vijay Pol of Vijay Leather Works,
informs, “Tanneries were set up in Dharavi many decades ago because the
suburbs had not yet been developed. Today, it forms the heart of the
city with a strong political base, viewed by every ministry as a gold
mine. Unlike the Tamil Nadu government, which provides financial
assistance and exercises land cost control, the Maharashtra government
is not willing to cooperate. Even if they do declare the land, they do
not finalise the rates.”
Prakash
Darveshi, manager — production and marketing, Leather Industry
Development Corporation of Maharashtra (LIDCOM) explains, “Around 12
years ago, a leather zone was declared at Ambernath where tanneries
could be set up. However, the government did not provide the facility
and it is alleged that the land was sold off to other industries.
Another issue that the tannery owners raised was that the zone in
Ambernath is an A/A plus zone, where the facilities are not adequate.
Tannery owners demanded a D plus zone for smooth conduct of business as
also a lower price for land. The MIDC did not agree with this
proposal.” He elaborates, “The owners’ insistence on concessions in
octroi, cess, electricity and water charges — the D Plus zone provides
that, not the A plus zone — stalled the negotiation process.”
However,
Shankar Dhote, chief engineer, MIDC, explains the other side of the
story, “A leather complex consisting of work model and work cum
residential model was set up almost a decade ago. The complex consisted
of 96 units, the cost of which was Rs 1000 per sq mts. But, due to high
cost, negotiations took a set back.” He adds, “Understanding the
situation, MIDC board approved a price of Rs 400 per sq mts for the
upper floor and Rs 450 per sq mts for ground floor.. Due to this
revision nearly ten applications for shifting base have been received
from the tannery owners.”
There
are around 80 units in Dharavi that produce finished leather, and they
hope to expand their business by restarting the tanning process. Since
the negotiation over land has continued over a long period of time, the
possibility of having a separate zone had fizzled, but the recent
revision come across as a surviving point for a sunset leather sector.
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