Illegal Brick Kilns: 349 out of 559 shut down in five districts: DoE to HC
The Department of Environment (DoE) yesterday submitted a report to the High Court saying that it (DoE) has shut down 349 illegal brick kilns out of total 559 in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Gazipur, Munshiganj and Manikganj in line with the court’s earlier directive.
The DoE said in the report that the brick kilns were shut down through mobile court drives and issuing notices. Tk 4.93 crore have been realised in fines from the owners, and the drives are going on, it added.
Deputy Attorney General Abdullah-Al-Mahmud Bashar placed the compliance report on behalf of the DoE before the HC bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader, during hearing of a writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh.
Meanwhile yesterday, writ petitioner’s lawyer Advocate Manzill Murshid placed seven recommendations before the HC bench for reducing air pollution in Dhaka.
Citing the recommendations, he said vehicles producing smokes must be seized, sands will have to be carried in sacks, use of old and damaged batteries producing lead will have to be banned.
The court asked Maznill Murshid to submit his recommendations through swearing an affidavit before it today and also set today for passing an order on this issue.
Hearing the writ petition, the HC bench on November 26 last year ordered the government to conduct mobile court drives to shut down illegal brick kilns in those five districts within 15 days.
The court directed the authorities to take necessary measures to remove dust and waste from streets, footpaths, and flyovers in the capital within seven days.
The authorities have also been asked to have water sprayed in dust-affected areas, walls, and trees in the city at least twice a day.
On January 6, the DoE sent another report to the deputy attorney general’s office for placing that before the HC. DAG Abdullah-Al-Mahmud Bashar said the report was partial, in which the DoE had said it shut down all illegal brick kilns in the five districts.
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