As tanneries in the city reopen aftera month-long ban on operations in view of the Maha Kumbh Mela,they find themselves faced with another crisis that oflabour.
Rendered without a source of income by the ban, almost 70per cent of the daily wage-earners who made up the workforceat these units have migrated in search of work to Gujarat orPunjab.
"Being daily-wage earners, these workers were hard done bythe ban on operations as it robbed them of their source ofincome. Thus they were forced to move elsewhere for jobs,"said Imran Siddiqui, chairman of the Northern India TanneryEmployees' Association.
Owners of tanneries are now complaining that labourers whohave stayed back are demanding exorbitant wages for theirservices.
The local administration had advised tanneries in the areato suspend operations between January 11 to February 13 andthen between February 22-24 and March 6-9 to ensure that theGanga was pollution-free during the Kumbh Mela.
The first cycle of ban, which got over on February 13,industry sources claim, has resulted in losses of Rs 1,000crore.
It also put approximately 70,000 labourers out of work, 90per cent of whom were members of the Dalit community while theremaining were drawn from amongst the minority section.
Although the workers had written to the labour departmentand also organised protests against the ban, they received noresponse from authorities concerned.
Now, more than half that population has moved out of thecity in search of employment, leaving the tannery owners in apredicament.
Zonal director of the Pollution Control Board, V K Mishrasaid the tanneries have been allowed to recommence productionand added that the future course of action regarding thesubsequent bans would be decided after discussions withtannery owners and the district administration.