Guwahati, July 25 -- Written by Varsha Torgalkar, Rifat Mohidin, Sofia Turati, and Vittoria Torsello - authors at Dialogue Earth

The Palar River flows 222 kilometres through Tamil Nadu before draining into the Bay of Bengal near Chennai. A vital drinking water source for 50 villages and 30 towns, it sustains farmland and supports India's thriving tanneries - where animal hides and skins are turned into leather.

In return, the tannery industry is polluting the river, the drinking water, and the farmland of local communities.

A landmarkrulingby India's Supreme Court in January held tanneries in Vellore district accountable for causing "irreversible damage" to water bodies, groundwater, and agricultural lands.

In the river basin alone, 4...