A tannery in Tangra. A Telegraph picture

The high court on Friday directed the state government to take all possible steps to close down 68 tanneries in Tangra, Topsia, Tiljala and Park Circus by December 25 in compliance with a Supreme Court order.

“The court wants a compliance report from the government on December 26,” the division bench of Chief Justice S.S. Nijjar and Justice S. Banerjee said.

The bench also asked police commissioner Gautam Mohan Chakrabarti and the police authorities of South 24-Parganas to help in carrying out the order.

CESC was asked to disconnect power supply to the tanneries.

The judges passed the order after going through a report by Jaydeep Kar, who had been asked by the bench a week ago to visit the belt and find out if tanneries were still operating there.

After receiving the report, the chief justice summoned advocate-general Balai Ray. He informed the court that in early-1995 the Supreme Court had asked the state government to take all possible measures to shut down the tanneries in the area and shift them to the leather complex at Bantala.

“The government took steps to close down the tanneries and asked CESC to disconnect power supply. But some of the tannery owners moved the Supreme Court alleging that their domestic lines had been disconnected. The apex court directed CESC to restore the connections. Once that was done, the tannery operations started again,” said Ray.

The order was in response to a petition by Topsia resident Muqbul Ahmed. He said the tanneries were affecting the health of residents.