Burning wood at brick kilns unabated: Brick kilns using wood violating law in Khulna

block
Ahsanul Amin George, Khulna :
Most of the brick kilns of Khulna district have been using wood violating environmental law. There are 144 brick fields at nine upazila areas of Khulna district.
 Out of them 11 have no release letters of the Environment directorate and 8 brick kilns are running with old chimneys, sources said.
It is alleged that some influentials have built brick fields where wood and lead have been being burnt violating the environmental law and as such the environment is polluting alarmingly.
Allegation has also recently brought against a brick field named ‘Sun Bricks Industries’, located at Hazigram in Digholia upazila of Khulna district adjacent to the river ‘Atai’ which has allegedly been conducting their business illegally and violating environmental law. The brick field has been being run without taking license from the district administration and release letter from the Directorate of Environment since around 12 years. On a recent spot visit, this correspondent found that logs are being burnt in this brick kiln at random and huge logs were piled in front of the brick field.
It is mentionable in this connection that the above-mentioned Sun Bricks Industries had been digging soil from Wapda dam. The New Nation published a report titling “Soil digging from wapda dam in Khulna rampant” on May 25, 2017. For publishing this report, Digholia Upazila Nirbahi Officer(UNO) Shampa Kundu recently directed the Sun bricks authorities to fill the place from where soil was dug and also directed to submit all documents including the license of the brick field and release order given by the Environment Directorate.
Habibul Haque Khan, Khulna divisional director of Environment Directorate said, There is no approval of any Brick field named ‘Sun Bricks’ in Digholia upazila. The brick field authorities have conducting their business illegally and proper lawful steps would be taken against the brick field within short time, he added.
Md. Abdul Malek Mia, assistant director of Khulna divisional Directorate of Environment said, There are only three legal brick fields in Digholiua upazila. They are – New Khan Bricks Manufacturer, M/S Zigzag Hawa Bhata and Selim & Rahman Bricks Industries.
In the name of ‘Sun Bricks’, there is no legal brick field in Digholia upazila area, he added.
According to the environmental law, brick kilns must be built beyond at least three kilometers away from the locality. But it is found that most of the brick kilns were built upon crop lands at all nine upazila areas of Khulna district. Some influential persons have built brick fields by grabbing lands beside the rivers.
It is learnt that cases were lodged on February 6, 2017 against New Super bricks and United bricks of Phultala, Noorjahan bricks, AB bricks, Shetu bricks and Al Amin bricks of Dumuria upazila area due to on availability of proper licenses and for making sub- standard bricks. Besides, Yasbi bricks, Hasan bricks and Rabeya bricks of Dumuria upazila area have been conducting their business without taking licenses.
Drives often conduct against the illegal brick field owners but after a few days they begin their business as usual. Wood are being burnt in these brick fields continuously for which the environment is polluting.
Local people of Khornia area under Dumuria upazila alleged that most of the brick field owners have been using wood and lead foe which the environment is polluting. Some farmers of the same area said, due to making brick fields upon the crop lands, crops are being victimized with massive harms.
Some brick field owners said, they are trying to take licenses and they are burning wood less than the previous periods.
Local people said, the five brick kilns are being conducted without any hesitation due to negligence of the forest department, environment department, district administration and law enforcers.
Sources said, around 6 lakh tones of trees are being burnt in the brick kilns. In the last six months a total of 25 metric tones of woods were burnt and as a result the forest is being deforested in this way. At present at least 2000 maunds to 10,000 maunds logs are piled in front of each brick kilns.
It is alleged that the brick kiln owners are burning trees after managing the concerned authorities and influential political leaders since long.
Every year in winter, the illegal kilns begin to operate, local alleged.
Toxic emission from the kilns is posing a great threat to the environment and its inhabitants, said an environmentalist.
Locals alleged that the brick kiln owners are burning trees at random as the law enforcers are playing roles of silent spectators due to mysterious reason.
On the other hand, owners of some brick fields said, due to lack of collecting coal, they are being compelled to use trees in brick kilns.
block