Nat’l committee for incentives to concrete block producers

The National Committee on Air Pollution Control has recommended providing incentives for concrete block producers aimed at improving the air quality. 

The committee headed by the cabinet secretary sat in a meeting for the first time on January 3 and also recommended attaching a condition to the development project proposal for block use.

They discussed the ways on how to implement the government gazette for ensuring full use of blocks in each government construction work by 2025 and how to demolish illegal brick kilns across the country. 

They think that block production needs to increase sharply and make the blocks available in the market to ensure full use of this building material. On the other hand, they suggested taking steps for reducing the number of brick kilns and closing illegal brick kilns. 

On January 3, the environment secretary at a virtual meeting directed the deputy commissioners of 64 districts to demolish illegal brick kilns. All agreed to play an active role in stopping the operation of illegal brick kilns, the secretary said in the meeting.

However, the environment ministry will form an expert committee, headed by an additional secretary, which will make recommendations to increase the block use as well as combat pollution. 

“We are gathering information on the block producers how much they are prepared and how they will meet the demand,” Ziaul Haque, Director (air quality) of DoE, told The Business Post. 

Earlier, block producers said they would be capable of meeting as much as blocks needed to ensure its cent percent supply within several months.

“The national committee has recommended incentives as there are no incentives on import of machinery and they have to pay higher VAT than brick producers. To ensure the use of blocks in every public construction work within a very short time, massive steps should be taken soon,” Haque added.   

The committee will be constituted with an additional secretary as its head and director (air quality) of department of environment as a member-secretary.

Representatives from Bangladesh Meteorological Department, SPARSO and BCSIR, and teachers from Dhaka University and BUET will be the members of the committee.

Local government division, and housing and public works secretaries, additional secretaries, chairmen and directors general from different ministries, government departments and institutions put forward their recommendations at the meeting.

Chief Executive Officers of both Dhaka (South) City Corporation and Dhaka (North) City Corporation also placed recommendations.

They also wanted to know the process of calculation in the level of pollution, and the acceptability of the data.

A technical committee will also be formed which will submit its report on it.

Action against air pollution

The National Committee also discussed the issues of roadside dust, biomass and garbage burning and pollution from vehicles.

The department of environment has been directed to intensify their ongoing drives against pollution on construction sites, illegal brick kilns and vehicles which emit gases.

They advised the DoE to carry out drives at big construction projects.

The Ministry of Public Administration has been requested to provide more magistrates for the Department of Environment, and the home ministry requested to provide more police force during the drives.

At the same time, the transport commissioner of the Department of Government Transport will be asked to provide more vehicles. BRTA will help the department of environment in taking action against unfit vehicles with an aim to phase out them gradually.

The City Corporation will take steps regarding spraying water on the roads and take strict action against burning of waste.

BRTA and police will be requested to ensure that all the trucks carrying soil, sand and waste will be covered properly.

This two government agencies will also be requested to withdraw unfit and expired vehicles.

There are around 8,000 brick kilns in Bangladesh. According to a World Bank report, 88,000 people die every year in Bangladesh and lose 7.7 per cent-9 per cent GDP.