PAKISTAN: Toxins from tanneries endanger Kasur's residents

Oshawa, my current place of residence used to have lots of tannerires and that fact is still considered something to be aware of when conducting environmental investigations. In Kasur the tanneries are up and running as this artcle elaborates:

KASUR, 1 May 2007 (IRIN) - For most of his adult life, Muhammad Rauf, 38, has worked at a hide-tanning factory in the Pakistani border town of Kasur. He applies large quantities of water and chemicals to raw animal skins as part of the laborious process that turns them into finished leather.

"I know my work well. It supports my family and two years ago I was made a supervisor," Rauf told IRIN in Kasur.

But at the same time, he is increasingly worried about the acute pollution problems caused by tannery waste, which has badly polluted ground water, impacted on the health of local residents and has also affected crops grown in the area. READ ON