\\\'4400 brick kilns yet to be made environ-friendly\\\'

Some 4,400 brick kilns out of total 6,417 are not environment-friendly, Environment and Forest Minister Anwar Hossain Manju has said. “Some 4,400 brick kilns of the country have not been made environment-friendly yet. As per the government’s decision, the brick kilns will have to be run making these environment-friendly ones after June 30, 2014,” the minister told the Jatiya Sangsad (parliament) on Thursday night. According to a field-level survey conducted by the Department of Environment, as of December 2013, there are 6,417 brick kilns in the country, he informed in replying to a written question of AKM Maidul Islam MP (Kurigram-3). Besides, there are 674 kilns with Bangla-chimney and drum-chimney, though the use of such chimney is illegal, the minister said. Replying to another scripted query the minister said Tk 12.55 crore was realised from 334 brick kilns as fine for polluting the environment and the air in the last four years, according to UNB.