Illegal brick kilns pollute environment in Tangail

Most of the owners of the brickfields in 12 upazilas of the district do not have any valid licences to run their business

More than 274 brick kilns are polluting the environment in 12 upazilas of the district. Of them, 137 have been running illegally, 19 kilns have no valid papers, and 72 brickfields have been set up on reserved forest areas. The environment is being threatened by the use of top soil in making bricks, establishment of kilns on arable land, and the use of valuable immature timber.

Sources say one brick kiln burns 1,000–1,200 mts of coal every year. Moreover, sub-standard coal is being imported to Bangladesh for burning bricks.

Dr ASM Shahdot, professor of environmental science at Jahangirnagar University,  said that the burning of one tonne of coal emits three tonnes of carbon. Air pollution from coal-fired kilns cause asthma, cancer, heart and lung ailments, neurological problems. It also results in global warming and creates public health hazards.

Currently, 72 brickfields are operating in the reserved forest areas of Madhupur, Ghatail, Sakhipur, and Mirzapur upazila of Tangail district.

Sources say most owners of brickfields in the district are flouting the Brick Burning (Control) Act of 2001. According to the Brick Burning Act of 2001, no wood and immature bamboo stumps can be used for burning bricks. But these are allegedly being used in huge quantities in most of the brick kilns.

Two brickfields, barely 300 metres from the forest range officer’s office, have been set up at Boheratoil. But as per law, brick kilns cannot be set up within 3km of any reserve forest. It has been alleged that the owners of SRF Bricks and Pubali Bricks did not take any permission or NOC from the environment department for establishing the kilns in the reserve forest area.  

Boheratoil range officer said he had informed the higher authorities about the matter. However, Mozahedul Islam, deputy director of the Department of Environment (DoE) in Tangail, said his office did not give permission to any of the kilns for burning bricks in the area. He also said they would conduct an operation against the brick kilns soon.

When contacted, DFO (Tangail) Harunur Rashid told this correspondent that complaints had been lodged against the brickfield owners violating the ban on the use of firewood in brick kilns.

Some brickfield owners, however, said they were compelled to use some percentage of wood or stump to cope with the huge expenditure.

Sources said most of the owners of the brickfields in 12 upazilas of the district did not have any valid licence to run their business. During a recent visit, this correspondent found that some brickfields had been set up in residential areas, on agricultural land, and even beside schools.

Mojahedul Islam, deputy director of the Directorate of Environment (DoE) in Tangail, said 118 brick kilns in the district had received NOC, while others had not taken any permission from the respective upazila, union parishad, and municipality authorities. Nineteen brickfield owners have no valid papers. So far, 137 brickfield owners have filed a writ petition with the higher court to operate their brick kilns.

The DoE conducted a drive on January 13 at Bishal and Swarna brick kilns under Ghatail upazila. A mobile court fined Swarna brick kiln Tk. 20 lakh, failing which the owner was sentenced to one-month in jail. The owner of the Bishal brick kiln was not present during the drive and the court demolished the kiln.

According to Bangladesh Brick Manufacturing Owners' Association, around 7,000 soil-burning brick kilns produce about 25 billion bricks every year, consuming over 1.27 billion cubic feet of topsoil.

Akhter Hossain Sarker, principal research officer of the Housing and Building Research Institute, said: “Eco-friendly bricks in the form of concrete blocks are gaining popularity in Bangladesh to mitigate the environmental damage caused by conventional brick-making. We are trying to make people aware of the harmful effects of soil-burning bricks. They are becoming interested in using concrete blocks instead of bricks.”

Illegal brick kilns pollute environment in Tangail

Most of the owners of the brickfields in 12 upazilas of the district do not have any valid licences to run their business

More than 274 brick kilns are polluting the environment in 12 upazilas of the district. Of them, 137 have been running illegally, 19 kilns have no valid papers, and 72 brickfields have been set up on reserved forest areas. The environment is being threatened by the use of top soil in making bricks, establishment of kilns on arable land, and the use of valuable immature timber. Sources say one brick kiln burns 1,0001,200 mts of coal every year. Moreover, sub-standard coal is being imported to Bangladesh for burning bricks. Dr ASM Shahdot, professor of environmental science at Jahangirnagar University, said that the burning of one tonne of coal emits three tonnes of carbon. Air pollution from coal-fired kilns cause asthma, cancer, heart and lung ailments, neurological problems. It also results in global warming and creates public health hazards. Currently, 72 brickfields are operating in the reserved forest areas of Madhupur, Ghatail, Sakhipur, and Mirzapur upazila of Tangail district. Sources say most owners of brickfields in the district are flouting the Brick Burning (Control) Act of 2001. According to the Brick Burning Act of 2001, no wood and immature bamboo stumps can be used for burning bricks. But these are allegedly being used in huge quantities in most of the brick kilns. Two brickfields, barely 300 metres from the forest range officers office, have been set up at Boheratoil. But as per law, brick kilns cannot be set up within 3km of any reserve forest. It has been alleged that the owners of SRF Bricks and Pubali Bricks did not take any permission or NOC from the environment department for establishing the kilns in the reserve forest area. Boheratoil range officer said he had informed the higher authorities about the matter. However, Mozahedul Islam, deputy director of the Department of Environment (DoE) in Tangail, said his office did not give permission to any of the kilns for burning bricks in the area. He also said they would conduct an operation against the brick kilns soon. When contacted, DFO (Tangail) Harunur Rashid told this correspondent that complaints had been lodged against the brickfield owners violating the ban on the use of firewood in brick kilns. Some brickfield owners, however, said they were compelled to use some percentage of wood or stump to cope with the huge expenditure. Sources said most of the owners of the brickfields in 12 upazilas of the district did not have any valid licence to run their business. During a recent visit, this correspondent found that some brickfields had been set up in residential areas, on agricultural land, and even beside schools. Mojahedul Islam, deputy director of the Directorate of Environment (DoE) in Tangail, said 118 brick kilns in the district had received NOC, while others had not taken any permission from the respective upazila, union parishad, and municipality authorities. Nineteen brickfield owners have no valid papers. So far, 137 brickfield owners have filed a writ petition with the higher court to operate their brick kilns. The DoE conducted a drive on January 13 at Bishal and Swarna brick kilns under Ghatail upazila. A mobile court fined Swarna brick kiln Tk. 20 lakh, failing which the owner was sentenced to one-month in jail. The owner of the Bishal brick kiln was not present during the drive and the court demolished the kiln. According to Bangladesh Brick Manufacturing Owners Association, around 7,000 soil-burning brick kilns produce about 25 billion bricks every year, consuming over 1.27 billion cubic feet of topsoil. Akhter Hossain Sarker, principal research officer of the Housing and Building Research Institute, said: Eco-friendly bricks in the form of concrete blocks are gaining popularity in Bangladesh to mitigate the environmental damage caused by conventional brick-making. We are trying to make people aware of the harmful effects of soil-burning bricks. They are becoming interested in using concrete blocks instead of bricks.