851 brick kilns run defying law in Rangpur

At least 851 illegal brick kilns continue to operate in Rangpur division posing a threat to the environment and agriculture. All the brickfields use firewood as fuel.

Officials of the Divisional Department of Environment (DoE), said there are some 1,002 brick kilns in eight districts of the division. Of those, a total of 851 have been running illegally.

Most of the brickfields are built on agricultural land close to the farmlands and human habitat.

Of the total 240 brick kilns in Rangpur district, only 28 have clearance certificates from the DoE, in Lalmonirhat 34 have no clearance of the total 54, some 165 lack clearance certificates the total of 215 in Dinajpur, some 90 have no clearance of the total 111 in Kurigram, only 7 have obtained the permission of the total 49 in Panchagarh, some 114 have no authorisation of the total 119 in Thakurgaon district, some 50 are running with no certificates of the total 54 in Nilphamari and some 144 runs without permission of the total 160 in Gaibandha districts.

The illegal brick fields have been continuously burning firewood and tyres instead of the specific standard of coal for brick production. They are also using chimneys which are in poor condition, and below the legal height, which pollutes the environment, and causes serious health problems to locals, including women and children.

A vast stretch of arable lands in the region has already lost its fertility due to being close to the brickfields, declining their production capacity and thus causing economic loss to farmers.

Many of the Farmers in the districts said crop production has been hampered in their lands due to the proximity of the brick kilns.

A Farmer Nityananda Barman of Ghanoshyam village under Kaliganj upazila of Lalmonirhat said he is not getting the expected fruit production from his orchard due to the brickfield’s impact, built on agricultural land, close to his house.

The toxic smoke emitting from the brick kiln also causes environmental pollution in the village, he also said.

Ruhul Ahamed, a resident of Kismotghatabil village under Ramnathpur union in Rangpur’s Badarganj upazila, said there are several unauthorised brick kilns in the upazila. People living nearby the structures suffer from various health hazards including respiratory complications.

Shortage of manpower in the divisional office is hampering the frequent visit to the brick field sites. So a section of unscrupulous people has been running the business illegally taking advantage of the lack of supervision and monitoring.

Only six officials are working in the divisional office against the sanctioned posts of 26 officials. A first-class executive magistrate posted in the office according to the approved organogram has been working on deputation, said a DoE official requesting anonymity.

When asked, Director of DoE Syed Farhad Hossain said, “It becomes tough for us to serve the regular duties due to a huge shortage of manpower in the office. Despite the shortage, the department conducted 30 mobile court drives in different illegal brick kilns and realised Tk 2,87,80,000 fine last year. It also filed cases against 85 illegal brick kiln owners.”

Moreover, they conducted 22 mobile court drives from November 13 to January 3 at different illegal brick kiln sites and filed 46 cases soon after a directive of the High Court to stop and evict all illegal brick kilns in the country. It also evicted 37 illegal brick kilns during the drives.

He also said there are some 1,002 brick kilns in the Rangpur division. Of them, a total of 151 have clearance certificates from the department.

“We have a lone executive magistrate in the office. He is attached elsewhere on deputation. During the drive, we need an excavator machine to evict the illegal structures but we don’t have one,” he added.