From greening to sustaining: Transformational challenges for the firm – a case study of pollution abatement from tanneries in Kasur, Pakistan

This case study of tanneries in Kasur presents an account of industrial transformation of an agrarian society in a developing country, Pakistan, with its effects, efforts to rehabilitate and the difficulties faced in abatement of pollution. The research attempts to respond to the question of the social and economic cost of achieving pollution abatement in Kasur and develop a viable model. The research methods adopted include reviews of secondary data, personal interview and sample survey of tanneries in the study area. The results reveal how people have grappled with the problem of pollution abatement from the tanneries in Kasur and in creating decisive awareness at the local, national and international levels. The transformation of the city from a commercial centre to a semi‐industrial tanning centre has led to a loss of 30% cultivable area due to contamination. It is reported that crop yield has dropped by 50% over the past 10 years. The total loss of agricultural income is estimated to be $450 thousand US per annum. The environmental impact of tanneries is highly pronounced in the urban areas around the leather tanning industrial units. Strong protest by the affected population has to some extent forced industrialists to rehabilitate the environment. NGO and the Government are also contributing to this effort. The case study of Kasur presents an example of the community's efforts to mobilize its local, financial and political resources to overcome the environmental hazards, with the associated problems and dilemmas.