The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered the closure of fifteen tanneries in Kanpur.

These are located along the banks of the Ganga in Kanpur and Unnao and the closures are part of a move to control the pollution level in the Ganga.

Under the pollution control laws, the UP government has also served notice to sixteen distilleries, nine paper mills, along with chemical, dyeing and pharmaceutical units to stop the discharge of industrial effluents into the Ganga.

Kanpur-based tanneries facing closure include Ameen Enterprise, MI Saddle Works, Aslam Tanneries, Mugeeze Tannery, SM Leather Finishers, Pahalwan Tannery, Shoib Leather Works, Iqbal Ahmed Tannery, Sunny Leathers, Firdaus Tannery, Taj Traders, Sahabuddin Tannery, Lisa Leathers and Liberty Tanners.