With the beginning of the brick-making season, 47 illegal brick kilns have started operation just beside the Madhumati River in Gopalganj ignoring environmental rules.
The kilns, built in the riverside village of Pukuria under Gopalganj sadar upazila do not have any certification from the DoE or permission from the district administration.
The bricks are being burned in wood burners which is destroying the local cropfields and polluting the air. This is posing a health risk to the locals.
On Thursday, the district administration and DoE conducted a drive in Pukuria village and demolished Lalpori Bricks, Hashem Bricks, Jaheda Bricks, Star Bricks, and King Bricks.
Fire Service and Civil Defence immediately put out the fire inside the kilns. Executive Magistrate, Amit Ray and Assistant Director of the Department of Environment, Asadur Rahman, led the whole operation.
Gopalganj Deputy Commissioner(DC) Shahida Sultana informed that all the other kilns would be demolished one by one.
From information obtained from the office of the deputy commissioner, it is seen that there are 54 brick kilns in the area among which only seven are built legally. The rest 47 do not have any certification and have been built near residential areas, cropfields and markets.
Farmer Sobed Ali Molla from Pukuria village said: "Crop production is being reduced due to the pollution despite proper irrigation and using fertilizer and pesticides. The black smoke from the kilns is giving rise to respiratory problems in people as well."
Horlal Modhu, district training officer of the Agricultural Extension Department said: "Biodiversity is destroyed as bees, insects, and small birds cannot survive in the smoky environment. As a consequence, pollination is being obstructed which hampers crop production."
Asadur Rahman, the assistant director of Gopalganj DoE office said: "We have asked the owners to close their kilns numerous times. Disregarding the warning, they have been burning brick using wood. If they had followed the rules of the Department of Environment they could have easily gotten clearance certificates. But now those illegal kilns will be demolished."
Owner of Jaheda Bricks, Enamul Sheikh, said: "I have been running my kiln for the last 2 years but have not been able to repay my loans. If we are given a bit more time we can repay the money and take permission from the administration as well."
Executive Magistrate of Gopalganj, Amit Roy, said: "The High Court has ordered evacuating the illegal kilns, that is why we are conducting the drives."
