22. Efficient Pollution Management Through CETP: The Case of Calcutta Leather Complex

India’s leather industry occupies a prominent place in the export market, generating scope for foreign exchange earning as well as large-scale employment. The export potential of this industry was recognized by the Government of India in the mid-1970s when it evolved a policy package consisting of a ban on export of raw hides and skins and providing fiscal and other incentives to stimulate the export of finished leather and leather products. Much of the economic benefits derived from leather production and trade; however, have come at a considerable cost to the environment and human health, which should be attended simultaneously to enjoy sustainable benefits from the industry. This poses a serious challenge before the sector and a number of strategies have been contemplated since early the 1990s to give the industry a cleaner shape.