‘Black water': British biologist raises alarm over Kanpur tanneries dumping toxic wastes in Ganga

British biologist Jeremy Wade sparked discussions online after he shared a video of Kanpur tanneries dumping hazardous wastes in the sacred Ganga river. Widely known for the show ‘River Monsters’, television presenter, author and biologist raised alarm over the release of toxic wastes such as chromium, lead and arsenic in the widely worshipped river.

The caption to the post on Instagram states, ‘You can smell it before you see it!’ The $12 billion leather industry that is dumping toxic waste into the Ganges." Pointing to 6-foot-high heaps of leather strewn across the streets of Kanpur, Jeremy Wade underscored the impact of industrial wastes on the environment. As per the documentary, Kanpur's leather industry is worth around $12 billion per year which houses several hundred tanneries.

Describing the pungent smell of sewage from the industrial wastewater, he said that the smell of "black water" is so strong smell that it hits the "back of your throat" when one stands close to it.

Studies have shown that chromium exposure causes lung cancer, respiratory damage (asthma, bronchitis), and skin ulcers. He further revealed that a part of the water released from these tanneries is used for irrigation while the rest is released in the river.

He surveyed a local tea seller about the quality of water who said, "The pipe water here is disgusting, it makes everyone sick. It not only makes stomach upset but also affects eyesight and causes hair loss.

Asserting that none of the toxic wastes from tanneries is treated and released directly into the river, the 69-year-old TV presenter said, “This is all on its way down towards the river, a part from some of it which is taken off into irrigation canals and towards farmland.”

Concluding the clip, a voice over in the video states, “Everyday, more than 50 million gallons of industrial waste is illegally dumped into the Ganges while most of it dissolves out of sight."

In another video, Wade demonstrated the level of contamination through a simple water test.

Using a container primed with chemicals that change colour, he tested sample of Ganga water and compared the results with that of mineral water. When he tested Ganga water, it turned light brown in colour, indicating the presence of contaminants. "It means faecal coliform bacteria. Basically, the water here is full of human waste,” he said.