111 illegal brick kilns have been built in the agricultural land of Kurigram without regard to the rules!

 Saifur Rahman Shamim, Kurigram –

111 brick kilns have been built illegally on agricultural land in Kurigram, a district bordering the north of the country, ignoring government regulations.

The owners of brick kilns are continuing to burn bricks 24 hours a day, 24 hours a day, near schools and colleges, along with agricultural lands and residential areas, without the permission of the Department of Environment, license to burn bricks, fire service certificate and even VAT-income tax payment documents.  Due to these brick kilns, the construction of brick kilns next to settlements, crop lands and educational institutions has caused the fear of loss of yield due to toxic ash, black smoke and hundreds of acres of aman and boro plantations, rabies, betel nuts, coconuts, mangoes and other fruits of various species.  Along with that, the people of the surrounding areas of Itabatta are at extreme health risk.

In the last few days, it is known from the field investigation that Messrs. W.A.S. Bricks Field, AB Bricks, Messrs. MSH Bricks, in the vast agricultural land of Ajotari village of Kashipur Union of Fulbari Upazila, in Naodabash area of ​​Baravita Union, next to Saifur Rahman Government College, the farm of Messrs. AMB, Fulbari Sadar Union.  Six brick kilns named M/s KMB in Bazar area and M/s JMS in Jakurtal area of ​​Shimulbari Union have been established.  None of these brick kilns have permission from the Department of Environment.  By making a nominal application to the Department of Environment, the work of burning bricks is going on with a trade license from the concerned Union Parishad.  Although there is a rule to limit the size of brick kilns to two acres, they have occupied a wide area.  Filled the drainage way.  The same picture is for the brick kilns of Bhurungamari, Nageshwari, Kurigram Sadar, Rajarhat, Ulipur, Chilmari and Roumari and Rajivpur upazilas of the district.  Locals adjacent to those brick kilns complain that the owners of the brick kilns are not paying attention to the government’s appointment policy as they are influential.

 Farmers Rafiqul Islam (38), Hazrat Ali (62) of Phulbari upazila and Bimal Chandra (42) and Jamal Uddin (45) of Egar Matha area of ​​Nageshwari upazila said that the owners of the kiln are burning bricks on rent.  Due to the black smoke of these brick kilns, the yield of Boro and Aman fields has decreased by 6-7 maunds per bigha for the last 5 years.  The black wash of the tide is causing the most damage to the betel nut orchards.  Due to smoke poisoning, betel nut production has decreased in this area for several years.  Besides, the yield of various fruits including mango, jackfruit, coconut has also decreased.  Every year hundreds of bighas of Amankhet in this area are lost under water during the monsoon season due to the construction of elevated roads and closing of bridges for the transport of bricks by the mill owners.

 In this context, Mosharf Hossain, the owner of Messrs. WAH Bricks Field of Fulbari Upazila, said that not only my kiln, but none of the brick kilns in the district have the related documents with the Department of Environment.  Every year I spoke to the DC office along with the owner association people.  As they have given verbal permission to operate the kiln, the kiln is in progress.

 Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Suman Das said that mobile courts have already been conducted in three Bhatas on December 8.  The authorities of those three banks could not show any relevant documents.  So they have been given time till 22/12/2022.  Legal action will be taken against the illegal brick kilns if they fail to show the paper by December 22.  The remaining three brick kilns will operate mobile courts by now.

 In this regard, Assistant Director of Kurigram Environment Department Rezaul Karim said, ‘A total of 111 brick kilns have been built illegally on agricultural land in this district.  Only 21 brick kilns have their papers up to date.  Of these, 20 to 25 brick kiln owners have applied.  However, 51 bricks do not have any legal documents.  We have informed the matter to the citation authorities including the District Commissioner.  He also said that we will take legal action against the brickyard owners who do not have valid documents.