8th January, 2016
By Daniels Ekugo
Industrial pollution has been identified as one of the critical challenges confronting Nigeria and indeed the rest of the world. This assertion finds firm footing in a report titled “The world’s worst pollution problems 2012: Assessing health risks at Hazardous waste sites” by Blacksmith Institute, a global organization reputed for solving pollution problems. The report reveals that the health of over 125 million people living in developing countries is at risk from industrial pollution and emissions, a problem that grows as manufacturing shifts to Third World nations.
Significantly, chromium pollution from tanneries, which occurs when hides are converted to leathers, has been described as one of the worst forms of industrial pollution. Undoubtedly, tanneries play a critical role in the economy as they contribute to employment creation. However, the spotlight has been on tanneries because of the alarming levels of environmental pollution caused by various tanning operations. Notwithstanding the critical role that tanneries play in the economy, there is a compelling need to protect the environment so that the planet will be preserved in a sustainable manner.
For example, the waste dump in Challawa Industrial Estate, Kano, which is reputed for its large deposits of wastes, aptly portrays a scary scenario of environmental degradation. Because chromium is required in the preservation of hides, tanneries procure this in commercial quantity so as to sustain their business operations. As a result, tannery effluents on environmental resources, water, lands, and aquatic life are extremely grave as these constitute huge threat to human health especially when tannery effluents are dumped haphazardly, which is the case in Challawa community.
Tanneries in Challawa Industrial Estate have been known to expose its residents to diseases because of its poor pollution controls – indiscriminate disposal of chromium at the identified dumpsite. This development, if left unchecked, portends great danger to its residents who will likely contend with consequences of indiscriminate disposal of tannery waste. When chromium dust toxin is inhaled, it can cause stomach problems such as ulcers, and there is the possibility of leaving damaging effects on the kidney and lung.
Dermal exposure to toxin from chromium can also result in pulmonary irritant effects such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, and chronic irritation, among others. This is usually characterized by dryness, scaling, swelling and fissure, which manifests as cracks on the skin.
Various studies have shown that continuous exposure to waste from chromium can have carcinogenic effects on human organs. What this does is that it increases the possibility of developing certain cancers. In the northern part of India, it was reported that chromium from small-scale and poorly-run tanneries that do not have proper waste treatment facilities wreaked havoc on a town in northern India on the banks of the Ganges River, thereby contaminating water from its river that was used for a variety of purposes, particularly for irrigation. Subsequently, it was estimated that approximately 60,000 people were at risk of developing health problems emanating from exposure to the toxic pollution.
Another practice that operators of tanneries in the Challawa Industrial Estate are reputed for is the indiscriminate burning of waste from chromium, which is inimical to agricultural sustainability. Well-documented reports have shown that burning of waste from chromium can stifle agricultural productivity, primarily because the soil is subjected to degradation caused by excessive deposits of chromium. This results in the loss of soil structure, reduction of organic matter and increased soil acidity.
Pope Francis, the current head of the Roman Catholic Church at the 2015 United Nations Sustainable Development Summit, said, “Any harm done to the environment is harm done to humanity and the ecological crisis and the large-scale destruction of bio-diversity can threaten the very existence of human species.” This chilling statement enunciated by the revered Pope also speaks to the monumental environmental challenges confronting the Challawa community, which is also confronted with the challenge of indiscriminate land evacuation in the said dumpsite with consequences such as erosion and flooding, which threaten the topography of that area.
In promoting sustainable use as well as management of the natural resources which include water, air and earth deposits, a few organizations have taken bold steps in addressing this environmental challenge. One of such organizations is the bottler of Coca-Cola products in Nigeria, the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Limited, which led other stakeholders to the Challawa dumpsite to find ways of stemming the environmental degradation.
During the World Environmental Day, NBC embarked on a cleaning exercise at the tannery dumpsite to spruce up Challawa and its environs. While the exercise was on-going, the company made a strong appeal to the tannery operators about the need to adopt appropriate measures in the disposal of tannery waste, a move which received commendations from the state chapter of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Kano State Ministry of Environment and traditional chiefs of Challawa.
Speaking during the event, Dr. Ahmed Kasim, Zonal Director for NESREA, Kano said, “We commend the efforts of Nigerian Bottling Company for its leading role in environmental sustainability, while reiterating the significance of waste segregation and classification and the need to embrace recycling as part of wealth generation.”
However, beyond the reclamation of Challawa dumpsite is the need for public-private collaboration in tackling environmental challenges. More can only be achieved if corporate organizations emulate the exemplary move by NBC in partnering the state government. For example, well-documented studies have shown that ‘bone charcoal’, an end-product of burnt animal bones, could detoxify chromium from waste water.
This cost-effective method presents an alternative way of alleviating the impact of toxins on the health of residents in Challawa community. Organizations can pool resources to support the state government through interventions that will enable access to ‘bone charcoal’ in commercial quantity.
It is therefore not surprising that NBC’s effort in this regard, as with its other public-spirited initiatives, has not gone unnoticed as the company has received glowing commendations and accolades. The latest in this long list of recognitions recently came from the Nigerian Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), which adjudged the company as best and incomparable for its commitment to sustainable safety compliance on Occupational Health and Safety Standards for the year 2014 and 2015.