Kolkata Leather Complex

The complex is intended to serve as a central leather-tanning business for Kolkata.{{Cite web|title=CSIR-Central Leather Research Institute|url=https://www.clri.org/DepartmentDetails.aspx?DP=339|access-date=2020-09-10|website=www.clri.org|archive-date=25 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925090549/http://clri.org/DepartmentDetails.aspx?DP=339|url-status=live}} Bantala has approximately 500 tanneries{{Cite news|last=Acharya|first=Namrata|date=2019-07-18|title=Bengal allots 70 acres to 187 new tanneries in Calcutta Leather Complex|work=Business Standard India|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/bengal-allots-70-acres-of-land-to-187-new-tanneries-in-bantala-leather-hub-119071800775_1.html|access-date=2020-09-10|archive-date=26 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026104855/https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/bengal-allots-70-acres-of-land-to-187-new-tanneries-in-bantala-leather-hub-119071800775_1.html|url-status=live}} and the Kolkata one performs 22-25% of all the tanning in India.{{Cite web|date=2017-02-21|title=Our Lust for Leather Comes at a High Price in the Developing World|url=https://undark.org/2017/02/21/leather-tanning-bangladesh-india/|access-date=2020-09-10|website=Undark Magazine|language=en-US|archive-date=30 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930004056/https://undark.org/2017/02/21/leather-tanning-bangladesh-india/|url-status=live}} The state of West Bengal is responsible for about 55% of India's leather exports. As of 2009, about 200 tanneries were relocated to the Kolkata Leather Complex.{{cite web|url=http://www.wbidc.com/images/pdf/annual_report/annual_report-09-10/Leather-Industry.pdf|title=Industry Specific Review: Leather Industry|date=2009–2010|work=West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation|access-date=20 January 2015|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304230449/http://www.wbidc.com/images/pdf/annual_report/annual_report-09-10/Leather-Industry.pdf|url-status=live}}

The project includes a police station and a fire station; in 2017 the police station was brought under the jurisdiction of the Kolkata police.{{cite news|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/kolkata/leather-complex-police-station-to-come-under-kolkata-police-4554924/|title=Leather complex to come under Kolkata police|date=5 March 2017|work=The Indian Express|access-date=26 September 2017|archive-date=27 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170927052856/http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/kolkata/leather-complex-police-station-to-come-under-kolkata-police-4554924/|url-status=live}} The facility also houses the Government College of Engineering and Leather Technology, which is affiliated with Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology, Kolkata.{{cite web|url=https://engineering.careers360.com/colleges/government-college-of-engineering-and-leather-technology-kolkata|title=Government College of Engineering and Leather Technology, Kolkata|work=engineering.careers360.com|access-date=26 September 2017|archive-date=27 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170927054318/https://engineering.careers360.com/colleges/government-college-of-engineering-and-leather-technology-kolkata|url-status=live}} A {{convert|130|acre|ha}} portion was designated as an IT park.{{cite web|url=http://www.banglarmukh.com/BanglarMukh/Download%3FAlfrescoPath%3DDocuments/WhatsNew%26FileName%3DStatus_CLC.pdf|title=Status Report on Calcutta Leather Complex for incorporation in the portal 'Banglar Mukh'|work=Government of West Bengal|access-date=20 January 2015|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130322224916/http://www.banglarmukh.com/BanglarMukh/Download%3FAlfrescoPath%3DDocuments/WhatsNew%26FileName%3DStatus_CLC.pdf |archive-date=2013-03-22}}

Pumping stations carry the effluent from the tanneries to a Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP). Problems in completing the common effluent treatment plant have caused serious difficulties, with toxic waste polluting the construction activities of some companies.{{cite news|last1=Madhupama|first1=Das|title=Leather complex turns threat to environment|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/leather-complex-turns-threat-to-environment/368926/|access-date=6 October 2014|newspaper=The Indian Express|date=3 Oct 2008|archive-date=5 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305112315/http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/leather-complex-turns-threat-to-environment/368926/|url-status=live}}

The complex was conceived in the early 1990s as "an integrated complex housing all activities relating to the leather industry in a modern and environment-friendly manner". The need for the project became evident when the Supreme Court of India ordered that all tanning activities in Kolkata be moved outside the city limits.

As of 2013, the complex was still not fully operational, and many illegal tanneries continued to operate outside the complex.{{cite journal|last1=Roy|first1=Utpah Singha|display-authors=et al.|date=7 March 2013|title=Changes in physicochemical characteristics of wastewater carrying canals after relocation of Calcutta tannery agglomerates within the East Calcutta Wetland ecosystem (a Ramsar site)|journal=International Journal of Environmental Studies|volume=70|issue=2|pages=203–221|doi=10.1080/00207233.2013.774810}}

In February 2023, a data came out about new and existing investments in this industrial complex. Kolkata Leather Complex to get 10000 crore new investment which currently has an investment worth of 30000 crore. The proposed expansion would make it South Asia's Largest Integrated Leather Complex.

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Category:Buildings and structures in Kolkata

Category:Indian leather industry

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