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98 brick kilns in Barisal continue operation defying DoE notices

SUSANTA GHOSH, Barisal
Ninety-eight brick fields across the district have continued their illegal operation, despite several notices from the Department of Environment (DoE).
Earlier on February 15 this year, the office of Barisal Superintendent of Police (SP) sent a letter to the DoE, asking for action against 13 brick kilns in Mehendiganj, 12 in Uzirpur, 26 in Bakerganj, 9 in Hizla, 4 in Babuganj, 13 in Banaripara, 2 in Gournadi and 20 in Muladi upazila of the district, said sources at the office of Barisal SR
Names and locations of the brick fields were specifically mentioned in the letter, they said, adding that the DoE office was reminded of the matter lastly on June 14.
"We requested the DoE to take action against the law violator brick kilns that are burning wood as fuel, using low-height drum chimney, and operating within three kilometres from homesteads or crop fields," said Devdas Bhattacharya, SP of Barisal.
He, however, did not mention any time limit or mode of actions to be taken against those brick kilns.
Acknowledging the matter, Sukumar Biswas, deputy director of DoE in Barisal office, said, "Those illegal brick kilns are polluting the environment and causing loss of soil fertility. Several notices have been served to the illegal brick kiln owners."
"Finally owners of all the old brick fields have been asked to convert them into modern technology-based ones like zigzag, Hybrid
Hoffman and vertical shaft methods by September 19 this year. Action will be taken against those who will fail to follow the direction within that date," he said.
Earlier the DoE arranged workshops on modernisation of brick kilns to encourage brick field owners to convert their fields through installing vertical shaft kiln, highbred Hoffman kiln, jig jag kiln, block system, Barisal DoE sources said.
Barisal divisional DoE office is functioning with only four officers and eight other staffs and employees to look after all types of environmental issues in 40 upazilas of six districts under Barisal division and they lack transport facilities, said DoE DD Sukumar Biswas.
Asaduzzaman Khasru, president of Barisal Brick Kiln Owners' Association, said, "Of the 135 brick kilns in Barisal district, as claimed by the DoE, only 26 have membership of Barisal Brick Kilns Owners' Association and they are operating by abiding all the related rules and regulations."
Meanwhile, 157 out of 278 brick fields in six districts of Barisal division failed to obtain no objection certificates from the DoE, said sources at Barisal divisional DoE office.
There are 37 legal and 98 illegal brickkilns in Barisal, 8 legal and 17 illegal ones in Jhalakathi, 5 legal and 24 illegal in Bhola, 18 legal and 15 illegal in Patuakhali, 19 legal and 8 illegal in Pirojpur, 16 legal and 13 illegal in Barguna districts, said Masud Parvez, an official of Barisal divisional DoE office.