Nepal’s Top Court Demands Answers on Tannery Pollution Standards

Nepal’s leather sector is facing a moment of reckoning. In a move that could reshape how tanneries operate across the country, the Supreme Court has ordered government authorities to respond to a public-interest petition demanding proper environmental standards for leather processing — including explicit rules on how far polluting facilities must sit from homes and schools.

The case was filed by Vivek Chaudhary, a law student, against the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, the Ministry of Forests and Environment, and the Department of Environment. Following an initial hearing, a single bench led by Justice Sunil Kumar Pokharel issued a show-cause order requiring the respondents to submit written explanations. Crucially, the court directed that the matter be treated as a priority, citing environmental sensitivity and public health.

At the heart of the petition is a blunt accusation: Nepal simply does not have specific standards to control hazardous chemicals, wastewater, industrial waste, and the strong odours that leak from tanneries. The petitioner points to a response from the Department of Industry under the Right to Information Act that reportedly confirmed the absence of separate distance and environmental standards for the leather industry. In other words, a sector with well-known pollution risks has been operating without a tailored rulebook.

Chaudhary is asking the court to force the government to adopt a policy that would require highly polluting leather facilities to operate at least two kilometres from densely populated areas — defined as places with at least 1,000 people or 200 households. The petition also calls for mandatory wastewater treatment plants at every tannery, safe disposal of sludge and chemical waste, limits on odour and air emissions, and stronger occupational safety for workers.

For communities living near existing tanneries, the case is deeply personal. The petition references residents who say they have endured odour and pollution from nearby leather facilities for years, despite repeated complaints. Nepal’s tanneries are concentrated in a handful of industrial pockets, and the lack of enforceable siting rules has long meant that expansion collides directly with neighbourhoods.

The ruling matters far beyond one courtroom. Nepal’s leather and footwear industry has been trying to scale up, attract investment, and integrate into regional supply chains. But environmental credibility is now a precondition for that growth. International buyers and development partners increasingly demand traceable, low-impact processing — and a country without clear tannery standards struggles to make that case.

There is also a fairness dimension. SMEs, which dominate Nepal’s tanning landscape, often cannot afford treatment infrastructure on their own. A national standard, paired with realistic timelines and support, would level the playing field and stop responsible operators from being undercut by those who simply discharge and hope no one notices.

The government now has to answer the court. Whether that produces a genuine, enforceable framework — or another round of vague assurances — will determine whether Nepal’s leather industry can modernise without leaving polluted waterways and frustrated communities behind.

For an industry built on transforming raw hides into value, the message from the bench is clear: the process itself has to be clean.

Source: Leather News (leathernews.org)