Prayagraj will be having the 45-day mega religious event Maha Kumbh from 13th January to 26th February 2025 and hundreds of factories including leather units in Kanpur and Unnao manufacturing leather goods, accessories and footwear, will remain closed. The same will be the case for many units of Ghaziabad and Greater Noida as well. Overall more than 500 units across 11 districts will be closed. It was not revealed whether any textile facilities will be closed or not.
The state Government has come up with this initiative to control the water pollution and the state pollution control department has also formed various committees to keep a check on this.
Special eyes are on the industries that have the potential to discharge into the Ganga river, which include the leather manufacturing factories.
The Maha Kumbh Mela, taking place every 12 years, is one of the world’s largest peaceful gatherings and is organised at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers in Prayagraj. Millions of devotees will be bathing in the holy waters of the Ganges so the State Government is working to ensure that the water of the river remains pure for pilgrims.
Along with the factories in Kanpur and Unnao, factories in other cities like Moradabad and Meerut will also close for five to nine specific days.
It has been instructed that common effluent treatment plants (CETP) should work properly and there should no discharge at all without proper treatment. It has also been revealed that factories will ve required to pay their workers during these days.
In a separate development related to Mahakumbh, various brands are also exploring marketing and awareness opportunities, with an apparel brand working on T-shirts with unique slogans so people don’t get lost in the crowd.
