The country’s arable land is reducing in the advent of rampant growth of brick kilns. Besides, the environment is also facing hazardous consequences.
The perilous aggression of brick kilns are alarmingly raising in the northern and western region of the country. Environmentalist rise question in such threaten situation.
According to The Department of Environment, there are near about 7,902 brick kilns in the country. There are 170 brick kilns in Lalmonirhat and Kurigram. Among them, 130 are running illegally. These brickfields are being installed on cultivable and agricultural lands and have spread over an enormous area.
There are about 500 brick kilns in Rajshahi, Natore, Chapainawabganj and Naogaon districts. The cultivable lands of Northern Bengal are now vulnerable to the threat of brick kilns. Innumerable brickfields have been established in three crop-yielding lands. Fertile topsoils of those arable lands are being extracted for manufacturing bricks.
The owners of the brick kilns barely consider whether there are cultivable lands or human dwelling in the vicinity of their brickfields.
Kushtia, an agricultural region in the western part of Bangladesh is famous for substantial harvest of Rabi Crop. However, 126 brick kilns are situated in that very region among which only 18 are operating with a license.
Woods are being used in the brickfields results in eventual deforestation. Northern and western region is enduring the adverse consequences of scarcity of cultivable lands as well as acute deforestation.
Addressing this concerning matter Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Chief Executive of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyer Association (BELA) told Bangladesh Post, “Taking the issues of public health and environment into the account no country uses burnt brick in the construction process.
However, in Bangladesh regulations/law despite being existent are not being enforced. Because, the operation is going on for so long that there should have not been any illegal brick kilns by this time.
The Department of the Environment has not yet conducted a comprehensive analysis of the effectiveness of the brick kilns that have been converted to modern and eco-friendly technology.”
“The government pledged to disrupt the use of burnt bricks by 2020, where it failed miserably. Top soils of cultivable lands are used in the brick fields which are eventually diminishing the fertility of those lands.
Also, the ashes from the brick kiln are damaging the crop yield in the area. Moreover, people are suffering from various diseases including asthma, itching and burning eyes due to burning bricks. Considering all these scenarios, the use of blocks in construction should be encouraged instead of bricks,”
she added.
Experts said, “The contamination caused by brick kilns harms the children and elderly people the most. Besides, dark smoke causes lung problems, shortness of breath and colds. On top of everything, brick kilns are detrimental to the cultivation of crops and growth of trees while creating an environmental disaster.”
