RAJSHAHI, Feb 24: A total of 15 brickfields have grown up in Puthia Upazila of the district. Most of these are illegal.
These brick kilns have been set up here and there. Locals said, bribing different offices, owners are running their brickfields year after year.
Very low quality coal is being burnt in these brickfields. Surrounding agriculture lands are getting exposed to serious jeopardy. Farmers said, they complained to different departments about their crop-damage due to black smoke emission from brickfields. But they are not getting remedy.
According to Upazila Nirbahi Office (UNO) sources, these illegal brickfields have been raised in six unions and one Pourasabha areas including two ones in the same place. But most of these have not legal papers.
Showing a nominal application before higher court yearly through their association, kiln owners are carrying out their brick-making activities.
According to sources at the Department of Agriculture Extension-Puthia, there are a total of 15,052 hectares (ha) of cropland in the upazila. Different crops are cultivated in about 13,000 ha of this. Fruits are farmed in the remaining lands.
Local farmer Saidur Rahman said, ignoring the government rules, two brickfields in the same place are running for years, and their black smoke is polluting environment in Sadar Upazila area.
Because of these kilns, over 100 acres of lands in a Beel remain uncultivated for most of the time in the year.
It was informed to the UNO and related agriculture offices, but because of some mysterious reasons, no action is taken in this regard, he added.
Farmer Taher Uddin of Dhopapara area said, "Black smoke is harming our fruits and crops."
Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer Golam Sakline said, now the impact of poisonous black smoke is taking toll on agriculture land. Adverse impact has appeared in all croplands across several kilometre areas around these brickfields, he added.
Farmers are facing crop damage continuously, he maintained.
When contacted over mobile phone, General Secretary of Brickfield Owners Association at Puthia Upazila Nasir Mandal said, "All brickfields are illegal across the country. We are giving VAT-tax to the government regularly.
That is why our brickfields are not illegal. But it is true that brickfields beside the municipality, school and college are illegal."
UNO Nurul Hai Mohammad Anas said, "So far, I know no brickfield has been set up in the upazila following the rules and regulations of the government. Very soon legal action will be taken against these."
