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The occurrence of metal tolerant and antibiotic resistant organisms was investigated in tannery effluent. Seventy-seven isolates comprising heterotrophs (41) and coliforms (36) which were tolerant to chromate level of >50μg/ml were selected for detailed study. The majority of the coliforms were resistant to higher levels of chromate (200 μg/ml) whereas around 3% of the heterotrophs were resistant to Cr 6+ at a level of >150μg/ml. All chromate tolerant heterotrophs were also tolerant to Cu 2+ (100%) whereas only 58.53% coliforms were tolerant to Cu 2+ . Except in the case of Cd 2+ a higher number of heterotrophs were found tolerant to other heavy metals tested. Both groups of isolates were found sensitive to mercury. Resistance to cephaloridine was more abundant (P<0.001) in coliforms as compared to heterotrophs. On the other hand a significantly higher number (P<0.01) of heterotrophs showed resistance to streptomycin and carbencillin. All coliforms were sensitive to chloramphenicol. Around 80% and 31.70% of coliforms and heterotrophs exhibited a relationship to the combination of metals and antibiotics. Both heterotrophs and coliforms tolerant to Hg 2+ were also resistant to polymixin-B.