Illegal brick kilns, identified as a major source of air pollution in Dhaka, continue posing serious threats to the environment and public health in Savar.
Despite the Department of Environment (DoE) declaring Savar a degraded airshed last year due to the severity of pollution, the decision has had little impact on the ground.
According to the DoE, Savar’s annual air quality is nearly three times worse than the nationally prescribed standards. Although drives are periodically carried out, most brick kilns reportedly resume operations shortly after raids conclude.
Professor AKM Rashidul Alam of Department of Environmental Sciences at Jahangirnagar University said that the region’s Air Quality Index (AQI) is more than double the normal level.
Emissions of sulphur dioxide and ultrafine particulate matter from coal-fired illegal brick kilns are significantly worsening air pollution, increasing the risks of respiratory diseases, breathing difficulties and even cancer, he added.
On November 5 last year, the Department of Environment dismantled the kilns of several brick fields in Shimulia area of Ashulia. However, local residents allege that within two months, new kilns were constructed and brick production resumed.
They have said that symbolic actions are insufficient, stressing that permanent closure of illegal brick kilns requires strong political will and continuous monitoring. Otherwise, they said, Savar’s polluted air will further deteriorate the overall air quality of capital Dhaka in the long term.
Local resident Nizam Uddin said he had hoped the problem was permanently resolved after the kilns were demolished. “Seeing the kilns operating again is deeply frustrating,” he said, adding that there is no clear answer as to how or under whose permission the kilns restarted operations.
Another resident, Md Kamal Hossain, pointed out that although environmental protection laws exist in Bangladesh, ordinary citizens lack clear legal standing to file cases.
Even when directly affected by environmental damage, people often cannot seek redress in court. He called for amendments to environmental laws to ensure affected citizens have the right to pursue legal action, similar to other key legislations.
The intense heat and ash emitted from brick kilns are also reducing the fertility of nearby agricultural land. Additionally, the use of firewood as fuel is contributing to the destruction of social forestry.
Rajib Raihan, a student of environmental sciences at Jahangirnagar University, said that breathing in the area has become increasingly difficult due to smoke billowing from brick kilns. “Respiratory illnesses such as asthma and pneumonia are rising among children and the elderly,” he said, adding that both farmland and forest resources are facing severe degradation.
Responding to the allegations, Rezwan-ul-Islam, an executive magistrate of the Department of Environment, said regular monitoring is being conducted.
He explained that many kilns are manually operated rather than mechanized, allowing them to restart operations quickly. He warned that brick kilns constructing new chimneys would face additional legal cases and, if necessary, strict measures including direct arrests.
According to the Department of Environment, of the approximately 107 brick kilns operating in Savar upazila, only two use environmentally friendly technology.