The city of Kanpur lies on the banks of the Ganges River in northern India that's Pollution from the tanneries is destroying the ecology of the local Ganges River and scarring residents in the form of life-threatening illnesses.

According to the footage This water is channeled onto local farmland, poisoning the soil, entering the food chain and accumulating in local ecosystems.

A local person said Local residents suffer an array of health troubles, a result of the bioaccumulation of dangerous toxins over decades. Health problems include heart attack, cancers, mental illness, child development issues and skin diseases.

A local worker said the city is now notorious for having some of the country's worst water pollution problems yet the tannery industry continues to discharge waste water laced with toxic chemicals, such as chromium, freely into local waterways.

At greatest risk are the people who work in the tanneries and farmers who work daily with the toxic and highly acidic water.

First established in the mid-19th century, Kanpur is now the country's biggest producer of leather products. Its leather is exported across the world, with 95 percent of its output destined for Western markets including those in the US, UK and Germany.