Brick kilns pollute environment, create diseases in Rajshahi

RAJSHAHI, Dec 11: Emission of huge quantity toxic elements with smoke from brick kilns at different upazilas of the district is causing serious environment pollution and creating health hazards, especially lungs and throat diseases.
For this reason, the number of asthma patients has increased recently. Besides, the smoke damages nearby fruit orchards, vegetables and others crops, locals alleged.
The brick kilns emit toxic fumes containing suspended particulate matters rich in carbon particles and high concentration of carbon monoxides and oxides of sulphur that are harmful to the ecological balance and also for the human body, especially for lungs, eye and throat, said environment specialists.
The toxic smoke causes asthma especially among the children and the older; for this reason, the number of asthma patients is increasing day by day, said doctors at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. 
During a recent visit, this correspondent found that a kiln, Auto Brick Kiln,  is producing brick at Naohata habitations under Paba Upazila of the district. There are 24 chambers at the kiln and most of the chambers developed cracks. The kiln remains open from morning till evening while bricks are produced at night ,and huge quantity of smoke is created. There is no water chamber at the kiln.
While talking to The Daily Observer, Abul Khayer, Selim Reza and some other mango growers of Palopara and Madanhati areas said that the kiln has been producing brick for the last three years polluting environment seriously, creating health hazards among the locals and damaging their fruit orchards. 
Brick kiln smoke damages the mango flowers and it creates black spot on the mango. For this reason, they do not get minimum price of mango in the market. They have been facing huge loss worth about Tk 3 crore for the last three years, they added.     
According to the law of brick production, no kilns can be set up around three-kilometre area of croplands and localities. But most of the brick kilns here are not following the rules. Now those kilns are hampering the production of fruit-bearing trees, especially mango, litchi, jackfruit and other crops.
Scientific Officer at Rajshahi Fruit Research Institute Dr Abdul Alim said, "The emission of huge quantity toxic elements with smoke from brick kilns is causing serious environment pollution like damaging fruit and crops and also creating health hazards. The crop production on lands which are located adjacent to the brick kilns is facing setback every year."
Moreover, the production of fruit-bearing trees especially jackfruit and mango has declined drastically since the brick kilns have been running in the district. Now the mango farmers have to face huge loss as black spots have been found on the mangoes of nearby trees, he added.
Professor Dr. Azizul Islam of the Department of Environment Science Institute at Rajshahi University said if any brick kiln is set up near pastures or orchards, these will be directly affected due to toxic smoke from the kilns, and the production of fruits and other crops will suffer setback.
As a result, the farmers have to face huge loss every year. The administration should take necessary legal steps against the kiln owners who are producing brick disobeying the rules and regulations, he added.
In this connection, Manager of the Auto Brick Kiln in Paba Upazila Manju said that they are producing bricks following all the rules and regulations of the Environment Department.