Traditional brick making

In recent years a number of environmentalists are vehemently opposing traditional brick making in brick kilns. They even lodge cases in court arguing that brick kilns are harming environment. The Brick Kiln Establishment (Control) Act, 2013 states that brick fields should not be constructed within a certain distance from educational institutions, residential, business or protected areas. It also prohibits setting up brick fields near certain places like public or private forests, railway tracks, hospitals, environmental sanctuaries, gardens or wetlands, agriculture land or areas with high air pollution.

The wholesale restrictions make it very difficult to construct a traditional brick kiln. Nevertheless, hundreds of brick kilns are still there where millions of traditional bricks are made. Boom of civil construction is behind the increase in the demand for bricks. And, without traditional bricks cost of civil work becomes very high. Hollow bricks are environment-friendly but still costly. So, what is needed is to make the traditional brick making process less polluting. Modern technology can be used to do so. The argument that brick fields are destroying farm land is partially true. But move to ban the traditional brick in near future will not work to save the agriculture lands. Industrial expansion is a big reason behind the reduction of farm land. Alternatives to bricks like steel structure may be promoted. Government can also arrange training for traditional brick makers so that they can carry out production with minimum environment pollution.

Md Ashraf Hossain

120, Middle Bashabo, Sabujbag, Dhaka-1214.

mah120cb@yahoo.com