Nine of 11 brick kilns in Gurudaspur illegal, pollution battering environment and public health

Brick kilns in Gurudaspur, Natore, are operating without clearance from the Department of Environment and without the required licences, in defiance of a ban, according to allegations. There are 11 brick kilns in total across the upazila's municipality and unions, and sources say only two of them hold licences.

Kilns built up in residential and densely populated areas have put public health, farmland and the environment at risk. Smoke from the kilns is polluting the air and cutting crop yields, while tractor-trailers hauling soil and bricks are damaging paved roads.

A visit to the sites found that many of the kilns, built in disregard of the rules, have low chimneys, so the smoke they emit spreads across the surrounding areas. Local residents face the risk of breathing difficulties and other illnesses as a result.

Farmers complain that crop production is suffering on farmland around the kilns. Schools, students, health complexes and people in densely populated areas are also exposed to health risks.

The kilns are also accused of using soil from triple-cropped farmland to make bricks, and in some places burning wood and straw. Heavy tractor-trailers carrying soil and bricks are damaging rural paved roads, and some kiln owners could not produce the required approval documents.

Under the amended Brick Manufacturing and Kiln Establishment (Control) Act, 2013, setting up kilns near farmland, forest land and residential areas without meeting set conditions is prohibited. There are also legal restrictions on using wood as fuel in kilns and on collecting soil from farmland, ponds, rivers, canals and wetlands.

According to the upazila agriculture office, pond digging reduced the area of triple-cropped land in the upazila by about 120 hectares last year. Paddy, jute, wheat, mustard and various vegetables used to be grown on that land, and paddy output fell by about 100 tonnes as a result, sources said.

In the latest drive, conducted with army assistance towards the end of 2024, nine illegal kilns in the upazila were fined a total of Tk 2.8 million. Local residents complain, however, that the kilns were not fully shut down even after the fines.

An investigation found that the five kilns inside residential areas belong to Mosharraf Hossain of Chanchkoir (M/S MBP Bricks), Abdus Salam Sabuj (M/S AKB Bricks), Zahurul Sonar (M/S MDR Bricks), Jahangir Sonar (M/S MDS Bricks), and Amjad-Mofiz (M/S AMB Bricks).

The others are M/S HBB Bricks of Azahar Pramanik in Sahapur, M/S HRB Bricks of Azahar Balu, M/S HKB Bricks of Kader Haji, M/S MSB Bricks of Majnu Sardar, M/S MDP Bricks of Zahidul Islam at Hajir Hat, and M/S RRB Bricks of Rezaul Hasan Rana in Chandrapur. Local residents allege several of these kilns were built amid triple-cropped farmland and densely populated areas.

Mosharraf Hossain, president of the upazila brick kiln owners' association, said the kilns hold VAT, income tax, trade licence, factory, BSTI and fire service licences, but none of them has environmental clearance from the Department of Environment. Only two kilns have licences, he said, adding that owners must be informed in advance if kilns are to be closed in phases.

Rezaul Hasan Rana, owner of M/S RRB Bricks, and Zahidul Islam, owner of M/S MDP Bricks, said they run their kilns following the rules. They claimed they hold clearances and face no problem on that count.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Fahmida Afroz said there are specific laws governing kiln operations, and action will be taken under the rules against kilns running without environmental clearance or the required licences.