Restarted after ‘managing everyone’

Numerous laws to protect public health and the environment -- including agricultural land, crops and vegetation -- are being flagrantly violated by five illegal brick kilns in Barguna's Amtali upazila. But the authorities are yet to take any action against the violators.

The five brick kilns had been operating illegally in densely populated areas in the upazila for four to five years and resumed their operations only a few days after their establishments were demolished by the Department of Environment (DoE) on March 10.

Wood is being burned illegally and toxic fumes are being emitted from these kilns using low-height 'drum chimneys' that are also illegal. The kilns even have onsite saw mills where stolen wood from natural forestry is being sawed up to be burned in the kilns.

Photo: Sohrab Hossain

Kukua Government Primary School, Kukua Model Secondary School, Kukua Union Parishad Complex and the government community clinic for the union are located within close proximity of AMB brick kiln in Krishnanagar village.

Ibrahimpur Government Primary School is located within 150 metres of brick kiln MSB in Ibrahimpur village while Kaunia Government Primary School and Kaunia Ibrahim Academy Secondary School are only 100 metres away from JBB in Kaunia village.

On March 10, DoE Executive Magistrate Rozina Akhter in a drive in Atharogachhia, Kukua and Chawra unions in the upazila demolished the five brick kilns -- Mahbub Mridha's MMB in Raibala village, Madhu Pyada's Five Star in Khakdan village, Abul Hossain's AMB in Krishnanagar village, Montu's MSB in Ibrahimpur village and Ismail Hossain's JBB in Kaunia village.

Kamruzzaman Sarkar, deputy director of DoE in Barishal, and members of Rapid Action Battalion-8 from Patuakhali camp assisted in the drive.

As the same kilns are now back in business within a short period of time, concerned locals now wonder whether the criminals are mightier than the government.

Akbar Ali, a resident of Raibala village, said, "Ashes and dust from the kiln have made our lives difficult in the village. You can't eat or sleep properly. Crops and vegetables production reduced noticeably. Fruit trees don't produce fruits like before."

Ibrahimpur resident Chan Mia said, "Smoke from the kiln makes it difficult to see inside classrooms at schools. Dust and smoke from the kiln is causing breathing difficulties and respiratory diseases among villagers. The kiln has ruined peace in our lives."

While speaking with this paper, Mahbub Mridha, owner of MMB in Raibala village, said that he resumed the kiln after "managing all".

Madhu Pyada, the owner of Five Star in Khakdan village, however, refused to respond when he was asked how he restarted the brick kiln without valid documents.

Contacted, Deputy Director Kamruzzaman Sarkar of DoE in Barishal said they would soon conduct drives to shut down the illegal kilns again.