Lucknow, May 18 (KNN) Taking measures to provide clean water to sadhus in Ganga during Kumbh next year, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has reportedly asked officials to close down tanneries in Kanpur's Jajmau between December 15, 2018, and March 15, 2019.

The Mela will be organised at Sangam in Allahabad from January 15 to March 4 next year.

According to a media report, Adityanath told officials at a meeting to submit weekly reports to his office on the measures taken to check the release of "polluted water" from the tanneries in Jajmau, where 80 per cent of the state's tanneries are located.

The chief minister also told the officials to engage scientists from IIT Kanpur to evolve methods to reduce pollution caused by the tanneries.

The officials said as many as 264 tanneries were operating in Jajmau while 136 had been closed down in recent years.

"These 264 tanneries released 6.7 million litres (of untreated water) per day. There is a common effluent treatment plant (CETP) of the capacity of 35mld. It costs (Rs) 17 crore to the state government annually to run the plant. There would be immediate need of Rs 17.88 crore to repair it and Rs 554 crore to further strengthen and upgrade," a report prepared the officials present in the meeting said, the media report added.

It was suggested that the plant be shifted from Jajmau to Ramaipur on the outskirts of Kanpur city.

There is a proposal to develop a leather cluster in Ramaipur, where the tanneries will be relocated.