Dr. Padma Vankar of the Indian Institute of Technology in
Kanpur has spent the past decade looking for ways to stop the poisoning of
some 30 villages caused by the dumping of untreated wastewater
from over 350 small tanneries surrounding Kanpur. By early next
year, Blacksmith hopes to help Dr. Vankar teach villagers how to build a
simple water filter she devised that can provide clean water for as
little as $2 a family.
Dr. Vankar's
project came to Blacksmith's attention following an open call looking for
small pollution remediation projects in India that can be tackled quickly with
just a modest amount of money. The project requires only $30,000 to begin, and
another $60,000 to complete it over two years. Blacksmith is currently working
to assemble the funding.
"Even as we
work at the national and state level in India, we want to make sure that we are
keeping our feet on the ground. So searching for small projects is a way
for us to see what kinds of pollution problems are out there that the local
experts are working on," said Sarita Gupta,
Blacksmith's program manager in India. "This is also a way for
us to demonstrate that pollution cleanup can be effective and low-cost. A
small example of success can go a long way in persuading others to join in."
With India
being the third largest producer of leather in the world,
and Kanpur as its biggest hub, this small project is ideal as it
has the potential to expand.
On its own, the
chromate salts used in leather production is non-toxic. However, once
mixed with water, it becomes chromium-6, the same highly toxic and
carcinogenic substance made famous by Erin Brockovich.
Over 15,000
residents in the 30 villages are affected but Dr. Vankar tells us that
many do not know they are being poisoned. Few make the connection between
the health issues they suffer and the tanneries.
Getting villagers
to build and use Dr. Vankar's water filters is just the first step. The
plan includes working with tannery owners to recover chromium from
the untreated wastewater to show them the economic benefits of proper
treatment. Blacksmith will also work with local agricultural experts on
the use of chromium-resistant crops and other plants that can extract chromium
from the ground.
The longer term
goal of the project is to eventually stop pollution at its source by bringing
together residents, local and state government, and tannery owners to make sure
existing anti-pollution rules are followed for the benefit of all.
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