Nothing has so far been
done to update the brick Burning Ordinance to improve the quality of air
in and around Dhaka city although the government is seeking to amend the
Environment Conservation Act to make it more effective.
Toxic fumes form about 6,000 brick kilns in
and around the city and along the river strung, Balu, Buriganga,
Shitalakhya and Megha virtually blanket the capital city and its suburbs.
Especially during the dry seasons when
bricks are usually produced in the most archaic methods, black colds of
various harmful particles and gas hang low in the air, exposing thousands
of city dwellers, particularly children, to health hazards. The most
common complaint among residents of the city during winter is breathing
problem.
Experts pointed out that in addition to
black smoke emitted by thousands of two-stroke engine auto-rickshaws and
faulty vehicles, fumes from those brick kilns settle in the city's
atmosphere and speread a 'fine dust' produced form burning of various
fuels. Doctors and drugstores reported manifold increase in the number of
patients having respiratory complications during the current dry season.
Taking the advantage of the health hazard created by black smoke, some
pharmaceutical companies were reportedly marketing various kinds of
unauthorised drugs for remedy of respiratory problems.
From Postagola up to the Shitalakhya and
Meghnan, several hundred brick kilns along the rivers emit dark black
smoke through chimneys, also dangerously restricting visibility to vessles
playing in the river routes during day and night. With the construction
boom in the city, brick manufacturing has become a profitable business,
rapidly attracting scores of investors. But those brick kilns are burnt in
the most rudimentary way, burning anything like used tyres, polythene,
fuel wood and low quality imported coal. Moreover, brick fields are often
set up anywhere, even in densely populated places without any monitoring
whats over.
Although setting up of new brick fields had
been banned under an Executive Order passed about a year ago, hundreds of
those are being set up without any licence or permission form the
authorities. The Deputy Commissioners office in every district should
monitor the development, but it is widely alleged that the district
administration usually ignore the matter in exchange for monthly
payments.'
The Department of Environment (DoE) sources
said then were worlsing on an amendment to the Environment Conservation
Act, and not the Brick Burning Ordinance. Mohammad Reazuddin, DoE Director
(Technical), said the Ordinance needs to be amended to deal with the
problems now gripping the sector. "Before a brick field is set up, it
must have proper clearance from various agencies including the DoE and the
law must set the criteria," he added.
Meanwhile, big developers in the cit said
they were fully aware of the environmental damages caused be traditional
brick kilns. Then claimed that if there was any alternative to bricks for
construction, they would ado for that. Mosharraf Hossain, Assistant
Manager for Customer Relations of Suvastu Development Ltd. said although
there is hardly any alternative to bricks at the moment, some companies
are producing bricks using gas as fuel. But their supply is too limited to
meet the demand.
Concord, one of the largest developers in
the country, is however marketing hollow blocs for five Ears, replacing
traditional bricks. Ferdousul Alam of Concord said hollow blocs are made
of stone chips, sand and cement and are 'completely environment friendly'.
These are 12 to 22 per cent cheaper than bricks and are more durable, he
claimed.
But others said Concord's imported
technology for hollow blocs will tale a long time to be used widely.Unless
there is a government initiative, the new technology cannot replace the
old, no matter how environmentally degrading it is, they pointed out.
