Jewel Chowdhury, Habiganj Representative/

In different upazilas of Habiganj Jera, brick kilns have been built one after another like a frog’s umbrella, destroying cropland and destroying the environment. Many of them do not have any valid documents. Wood is being used as fuel in these brick kilns, causing environmental damage. As a result, the hilly forest area and various valuable trees including banaji and medicinal plants are being destroyed. Besides, during the delivery of soil and bricks from the brickyards, the roads are broken into ditches while being transported by big trucks, monster tractors, lorries, and many people are suffering from diseases due to the dust.

The authorities pretend not to see much as those involved in these activities harmful to the environment are mostly influential. No brick kiln owner is heeding the government ban on cutting hills and cropland. It is known that there are more than half a hundred bricks fields in Mirpur Bazar, Putijuri, Chalitar Abda, New Bazar, Sujat Bricks Field of Hafizpur, Laskarpur, New Bridge, Paikpara, Ratanpur, Bangaon, Vaidyer Bazar, Pukra, Milanganj, Chunarughat in Nahubal Upazila.

Much of it lacks environmental clearance. Even if there is a license, there are many errors including expiry. However, being influential, these BRICS fields are continuing with force. Sometimes operating a mobile court is fined. But after a few days, the owners of these brick fields started and continued the work. There are allegations that many workers have been bribed by the owners.

Locals complain that brick kilns have been set up in the locality completely illegally. The administration was repeatedly informed about this and no effective action was taken. Various hill-crop lands are being cut and taken away by different vehicles including tractors in broad daylight. Also, low height tin chimneys are used in most of the brick kilns. The surrounding environment is being severely polluted by the smoke of the brick kiln.

Although bricks are supposed to be burnt in these brick kilns with coal, to save cost, these bricks are being burnt openly in the kilns without any fear to save cost. Many people are secretly storing wood illegally and continuing all these activities. A professor of civil engineering department of Mat Shahjalal University of Science and Technology said that if this continues, the surrounding forest land and environment will soon be destroyed.

He said that the crop land and the soil of the neighboring hills are being destroyed and the children are being smuggled and hidden and are being made in brick kilns in violation of the government regulations. Many have no valid license. There are few children’s schools and high schools and colleges near the brick kiln. Especially children students are at serious health risk due to the smoke of these brick kilns. Due to the subsidence of these bricks, crops are no longer grown in many surrounding lands. He urged the local administration to come forward in this regard.