Brick kilns, which were demolished for not having authorization from the environment department, have once again started making bricks without license and thus increasing environmental pollution in Shariatpur.
According to a list made by Shariatpur district administration, the district has 58 brick kilns at present; out of which 12 did not renew their license and 11 others are producing bricks without authorization from the environment department.
Of the unauthorized 11, eight brick kilns were previously demolished and fined during separate drives conducted by mobile courts in December last year.
However, all of the penalized kilns are currently in production of bricks without documents of authorization, while local law enforcers are mysteriously silent despite the flagrant violation of the law.
Messers Medina Bricks in Sadar Upazila is one of the kilns that was demolished and fined Tk2 lakh. Within a week after its demolition, the renovation of the brick kiln began and production is currently ongoing at full speed.
When this correspondent asked why the kiln is back in production, Ruhul Amin Shikdar, manager of Medina Bricks said: “We don’t deal with the matter, the owners can say better.”
Abdur Rashid Madbor, manager of Messers Hawlader Brick Field in Damudya Upazila, said their brick kiln was also demolished for not having necessary papers. However, they are operating without a license as ‘the existing conflicts were resolved with everyone.’
Apart from these two kilns, Messrs Bismillah Bricks, Messrs Dhali Bricks, Messrs Jamuna Bricks, Jamuna Bricks Manufacturing, Messrs Kirtinasha Brick Field and Messrs JIB Brick Field were demolished during the drives, but all are continuing to operate without authorizations.
Moreover, while the mobile courts conducted these drives, no action was taken against the 12 kilns that had not renewed their licenses, nor the other three that never had any license.
Owner Mahfuzur Rahman Ujjal, of Messers Bismillah Bricks said he had been operating his kiln despite instructions from the authorities to postpone production. “I have requested permission from the environment department and kept the kiln running with the hope that we will receive the license soon.”
Shariatpur district's Deputy Commissioner Kazi Abu Taher said: “Actions were taken against every illegal brick kilns in the district. I don’t know if any violation of law took place after the drives. Mobile courts will be operated again if such violations are proven after an investigation. Actions will be taken according to the laws of the environment department.”