DISTRICT INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION & TRAINING, NALBARI

ASSIGNMENT: A LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM

Subject: Issues of Conservation and Environment Regeneration

Paper: EPC 4.5

Submitted To: Submitted By:

Munindra Malakar Sir Bijuli Devi
Lecturer, Roll No. 09
DIET, Nalbari B. Ed 4th Sem
 BRICK KILN:CAUSING HAZARDS
Environment:

The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally,

meaning in this case not artificial. The term is most often applied to the Earth or some parts of
Earth. This environment encompasses the interaction of all living species, climate, weather and
natural resources that affect human survival and economic activity.

Environmental Pollution:

Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse
change. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or
light. Pollutants, the components of pollution, can be either foreign substances/energies or
naturally occurring contaminants.

Brick Kiln:

The brick industry is the largest user of coal in India after thermal power plants and the iron and
steel industry. It consumes around 35 million tonnes of coal per year or 175g of coal per unit of
brick. According to a report by United States Environmental Protection Agency, the industrial
sector accounts for approximately 15 per cent of all black carbon emissions in India, with
approximately two-thirds of those emissions attributable to brick kilns.
Also, some estimates suggest that more than 60 per cent of all brick kilns in the country may be
unregistered or illegal. And policy dictates for reducing emissions do not work on illegal set-ups.

How it works:

A brick kiln is usually 120 ft high (part of which is under the earth). It has a 100 ft chimney and
a space which is around 12 ft high, 32 ft in length and 10 ft in breadth, where the bricks are
placed. In this space, there are around 36 chambers in which 13 lakh clay bricks are placed for
drying or hardening, for which around 234-250 tonnes of coal (old technology) and 130-156
tonnes (new technology) are needed for a single operation, which continues for a month 24×7.
Every kiln is operated 5-6 times a year. In new technology, 5 per cent ash is left after burning
coal, while in old technology, 15 per cent ash is generated. Nearly 200 to 250 people are
dependent on each kiln for a living.

Impact on the Environment:

Production of bricks results in environmental degradations due to emission of significant

quantities of gaseous and particulate pollutants. All the brick kiln operations right from digging
of earth to unloading of fired bricks from the kiln are accompanied by generation of dust which
leaves the whole nearby and workplace dusty. Air pollution in brick kiln is produced both
through the stack emission as well as the fugitive emissions. Use of thermally low efficient kilns,
outdated technology such as Bull’s Trench kilns and inefficient firing technologies contributes to
particulate and gaseous emissions. Brick kilns emission consists of mainly fine particles of coal,
dust particles, organic matters and small amount of gases such as Carbon dioxide (CO2), Carbon
monoxide (CO), Sulpher dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Suspended Particulate Matter
(SPM)etc. The quantum of the dust evolved from non-chimney sources in brick kiln area is very
high. These runaway dusts in workplace contribute to the highly dusty conditions in and around
the brick kilns and are further aggravated when the wind speed is high [7-9]. The releases of
toxic substances from these brick kilns are adversely affecting soil, plants, animals and people in
their surroundings being the most severe for brick workers, children and women.

Local Problem: A Nearby Brick Kiln

There is a brick kiln within a range of 4/5 kilometers of our residence. This industry has been
emitting pollutants into the air, water and soil of the locality since it started 7 years ago. Some of
the effects are as follows-

 There are schools within 500 meters of that kiln(which is not legally suggested). The
students are basically minors of age 9-15. These children are the most vulnerable because
they are essentially breathing toxic gases such as Carbon Monoxide, Sulpher dioxide,
Nitrogen Oxides etc which has caused severe respiratory diseases among the students of
the school. Not just children, the diseases related to skin, and respiratory system are quite
common among the inhabitants and the animals in the area.

 All the paddy fields around the brick kiln is highly contaminated and therefore is adding
to the woes of the farmers. Agricultural growth in the locality has been stagnant since a
 few years. The soil and water in the locality has been gradually contaminated due to the
emissions and industrial waste of the Brick Kiln.

 Adding to that, the industrial waste of the industry is flowing into the streams that are
connected to Barali Beel, a lake that is a primary source of drinking water for a
significant population of 10-15 villages around the lake.

 Also a significant number of inhabitants in the surroundings of Borali Beel is dependent

on fishing as the only source of their livelihood. But fishes are dying because of the toxic
industrial waste into the water. This lake is also a biodiversity hotspot consisting of flora
and fauna. But the industrial waste is slowly killing various species of plants and
organisms in and around the lake.

Solution:

The locals of the area have been protesting against the functioning of the Brick Kiln since its
establishment but somehow it has escaped the attention of the concerned authorities. There is a
urgent need of strict government regulation on emission and disposal of industrial waste of the
Brick Kiln. Also new upgraded technologies could be used in order to reduce the emissions.
There should be a dense layer of trees around the kiln so as to minimize the contamination and
emission.

But to be fair, these are all temporary measures and require strict vigilance from time to time.
The permanent solution however, is to close down the Brick Kiln. Since there are better
alternatives to Clay Bricks such as Paver Blocks, it doesn’t seem very farfetched. And in the
current scenario where the air pollution has skyrocketed in the last few years and is causing
serious health hazards to the human population along with the bio diversity of the world, this
seems like the appropriate action.