Chromium found in blood of residents along Ganga in UP’s Kanpur & Unnao

Lucknow: Residents living along the banks of the Ganga in Kanpur and neighbouring Unnao district have been found to carry toxic chromium in their blood, raising alarm over the long term impact of industrial pollution linked to the tannery belt in the region.

A fresh medical report submitted before the National Green Tribunal has revealed that chromium levels above the permissible limit were detected in the blood samples of a large number of residents living in pollution affected areas near Kanpur’s leather processing hub.

The laboratory investigation was carried out by the Department of Biochemistry at the Dr Ram Manohar Lohia

Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow.

The findings were submitted as part of an affidavit filed by the Kanpur Nagar district administration in an ongoing case related to industrial pollution from tanneries in the Jajmau area.

According to the affidavit, 233 blood samples collected from residents of affected localities were tested and chromium was detected in 215 of them.

In addition, four samples showed traces of mercury while 10 people were found to have lead in their blood.

Health officials said the samples were collected in January from residents of Jajmau and Ruma areas of Kanpur, where several settlements lie close to drains carrying industrial waste from the tannery cluster.

While 586 people were tested, reports of only 233 samples have been released so far and results of the remaining 353 samples are still awaited.

Government data submitted earlier before the tribunal had also indicated

widespread exposure to chromium in the region.