Most Ctg kilns still using high emission technology

In the last five years, the brick kiln owners in Chittagong were given two extensions of the deadline to convert to green technologies from the high emission fixed-chimney firing method but it has yielded little results so far.

Out of the total 408 kilns in the district, 321 are still running with the old technology and thus causing pollution at a higher rate, which could have been easily curbed through the use of zigzag, hybrid Hoffman, vertical shaft, and tunnel technologies.

Except for the tunnel method, each of the remaining three technologies generates less carbon dioxide, black carbon, and carbon monoxide.

Experts say toxic emissions interrupt photosynthesis, the way trees generate food for themselves, and cause respiratory diseases and even cancer.

Although unlicensed operation is punishable by a jail sentence of up to one year or a fine of up to Tk 1 lakh or both and confiscation of all equipment and goods like machines, fired bricks, mud, the owners are reluctant.

For them, the current rules are unrealistic.

Abdul Malek, president of Greater Chittagong District Brick Manufacturers and Kiln Owners Association, said there was actually no place to set up a brick kiln in Bangladesh under the current law because it prohibited installation of a kiln within 1km of a residential neighbourhood, school, agricultural land, garden, forest, marshland, city corporation, municipality, and upazila headquarters.

"So, even if we convert to modern technologies, the authority can still get us for operations in prohibited areas,” he said.

He demanded that the government allot a special zone for brick kilns and then ask for conversion. "Then it will be easier for us."

Faridul Alam, president of Lohagara Upazila Brick Kiln Owners Association, said, “They asked us to convert all 'drum chimney' kilns for its pollution to '120 feet fixed-chimney' kilns in 2007-2008. And we complied.” But within a few years, they are asking to convert to technologies like zig-zag, he added.

“Who knows they will not be asking us again to go for a more modern technology after we convert each kiln, spending 60 to 70 lakh taka.”

Another problem, he said, is unavailability of skilled technicians who can maintain and fix these modern kilns. “However, we are still converting the kilns gradually, and currently 14 kilns out of the total 47 in my area are using the zig-zag technology.”

According to the Department of Environment (DoE), 345 brick kilns have applied for the environment clearance certificate since 2010, and of them, 43 got it.

DoE Director of Chittagong Mokbul Hossain said they were not renewing the certificate of the kilns that were not converted.

He, however, said the district administration was the licensing authority, so it had the major responsibility to take action against illegal kilns.

Asked, Deputy Commissioner Mesbah Uddin said that in the last four months till March, mobile courts realised a fine of Tk 30 lakh, damaged some kilns, and jailed some staff.

It is not easy to destroy such a big number of illegal kilns because of shortages of manpower and logistic supports, he said.

The DC informed that the drives were going on.

Talking about the concerns of owners, Edris Ali, associate professor of Hazi Muhammad Mohsin College and vice president of Chittagong chapter of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon, said five years was enough time to switch to new technologies.

The DoE issued a circular in September 2010 asking to modernise all the fixed chimney kilns by September 2012. The deadline was first extended till March 31, 2013 and then again till June 2014.

Brick kilns operate for seven months from October to May.