Cooperating for survival: Tannery pollution and joint action in the Palar Valley (India)

In 1995 the Supreme Court of India ordered the closure of hundreds of tanneries in Tamil Nadu for failing to treat their effluents. With their survival at stake, local producers opted overwhelmingly for a collective solution, and took immediate steps to form central treatment plants. This article shows how cooperation, facilitated by community ties and shared local identities, enabled the clusters to meet the "pollution crisis." It examines difficulties that arise from collective action, notably monitoring and compliance, and explores public-private interaction in the pursuit of environmental goals. Sustaining cooperation and future prospects of joint action are also discussed. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.