It’s no big secret that the numerous brick kilns dotting the outskirts of Dhaka are the biggest contributors to our capital city’s ever declining air quality, which is classified as being dangerous to sensitive groups at best and toxic to everyone at worst.
Which is why the prospect of more brick-making establishments being built throughout the nation is especially concerning. And that’s exactly what is happening as we speak, as farmers across Bangladesh are seemingly losing their land to increasing numbers of brickfields.
The emissions from brick kilns are not only destroying crops in farmlands, but the way that brickfields are built leave a lasting negative impact on the arability of the land. All of this is, of course, in addition to the established adverse effects they have on the air and the health of the local populations.
If it wasn’t clear before, it should be now: Building too many brickfields is literally causing the very land we occupy, the land that offers us sustenance to go bad.
Dhaka is among the most polluted cities in the world, and brick kilns are the biggest reason to that end. These establishments often operate illegally and with absolute impunity due to the blessings of influential locals – they destroy the environment and are directly responsible for many life-threatening diseases. And now we can add the destruction of our farmlands to that list.
How much more destruction are we going to allow these people to cause before they are held accountable? Clearly the government’s efforts towards regulating this industry is not working.
The least that can be done is to rope in brickfields that are clearly built illegally without any permission.
We risk losing our nation’s agricultural identity unless something is done and done fast. The administration needs to put a stop to their unethical and illegal methods of doing business.