A total of 13 brick kilns have been set up illegally in a forest at Phaitong union in Lama upazila and locals say these might lead to serious environmental hazards.
Wood collected from the forest is used to operate the kilns that the owners had built by “managing” the approval from the local authorities. Three of the 13 kilns were built by cutting hills in 2012.
Mang Bra Ching Marma, a local resident, said the kilns had “completely destroyed” the environment of the area.
“Nothing can be done about these kilns as the local authorities are in favour of the owners,” he said.
The High Court imposed a ban on setting up and operating brick kilns in Chittagong Hill Tracts area in 2009 but the directive has hardly been complied with.
Director of the Department of Environment (Chittagong zone) Shahidul Alam said none of the 13 kilns has clearance certificates.
“I will talk to the deputy commissioner before taking action against the owners of the kilns,” he said.
Clearance certificates from the forest authorities, agriculture authorities and environment authorities are required to operate a kiln.
Kabir, who owns a kiln in the area, conceded that he has no official permission to operate the facility.
Besides, the use of wood in the kilns has significantly depleted the vast tracts of forest in the union, with more and more trees being chopped down relentlessly.
Kiln workers said more than 300 maunds of wood is needed on an average at a kiln every day, and the area of nearby forest lands is shrinking gradually.
Shahidul Alam Chowdhury, a forest official in Lama, said assistance had been sought from the upazila authorities and the local army camp to take action against the kiln owners.
According to the Brick Making and Kiln Establishment (Control) Act 2013, operating a kiln without licence will lead to a one-year imprisonment and a fine of Tk50,000.
The punishment is same for establishing brick kilns in residential, restricted and commercial areas as well as forest lands.
Lama Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shamsun Nahar Sumi said actions would have to be taken against the owners as the illegal kilns could not be made legal.
Forest wood has been used in the kilns in Bandarban for years and locals say this will seriously threaten the balance of nature if actions are not taken immediately.
