Home ›› 03 Mar 2022 ›› Editorial
According to media reports, the High Court on Tuesday ordered the demolition of all illegal brick kilns in Dhaka and four other neighbouring districts within 15 days. The order of the High Court comes at a time when illegal brick kilns are proliferating in different parts of the country, raising serious concerns about environmental pollution. A report published in this newspaper on Wednesday exposes this unfortunate situation. The report says that illegal brick kilns have mushroomed in all the nine upazilas of the southern district of Khulna. As many as 50 illegal brick kilns are in operation in the district. While this is a worrying figure, what makes the situation even worse is that most of the authorised one hundred brickfields are flouting relevant government rules and regulations. The authorities concerned are turning a blind eye to the unwelcome phenomenon.
In most cases where there are unauthorised brick kilns, the owners are well connected politically. Generally, they have no problems circumventing the law. Unfortunately, many of our laws exist only on paper and are rarely enforced. The brick kilns set up by unscrupulous people defying the existing laws of the land are exposing the people living in those areas to serious health hazards on the one hand and contributing to the destruction of the country’s forest resources on the other. According to experts, hundreds of people die of diseases like asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory ailments triggered by air pollution caused by the smokes released by the brick kilns throughout the country. The brick kilns also take away fertility of arable lands, as stated in the report. It has been alleged that many of the owners of brick kilns have been running their business without valid documents. Many of them are using firewood instead of coal and gas for burning bricks defying the government ban and environmental rules.
Moreover, most of the brick kilns are set up near dwelling houses, croplands, and near forests contravening government regulations. These brick kilns are spreading noxious poison in the air, and the people living nearby are bearing the brunt of the menace. According to the law, a brick kiln cannot be set up within three kilometers of human settlement. But this law is being flouted outright. There are also clear instructions from the Department of Environment for setting up at least 60 feet chimney at a brick kiln. But most of the owners are not following this. Substandard chimneys are the rule rather than the exception. Needy and gullible people in rural areas are selling their valuable trees not knowing its adverse impact on the environment. As a result, valuable fruit-bearing and wood trees are being cut down indiscriminately. The erratic behaviour of environment is to a great extent caused by deforestation.
For any new application for kilns, green technology has to be made mandatory. Since the government has taken green initiatives in several sectors, it needs to have a fool proof system in place, so there isn’t any way to circumvent the law. One other alley to explore is to invite overseas experts to sensitise kiln owners via seminars and workshops.
Bangladesh needs to have a multi-dimensional eco-friendly campaign in cities, villages, and towns with events held at schools, colleges and other academic premises. The idea is to create awareness among future generations of the country. When they become entrepreneurs, the importance of preserving nature will always be one of their priorities. In a densely populated country, collective consciousness is vital to safeguard our environment.
The manufacturing of bricks is essential for the development of the country. At the same time, we should not ignore the issue of a safe environment. The recent court directive should be followed to the letter. All illegal brick kilns should be identified and appropriate actions should be taken. The relevant agencies must ensure that authorized brick kilns strictly follow the rules and regulations. People's health must not be viewed with utter disregard by those entrusted with the responsibility of guarding the populace from law-breaking industries.
