'Relax regulatory norms on excavation of sediments from rivers for preparing bricks'

Kolkata: Bengal Brick-field Owners Association (BBOA) has urged the state government to relax the regulatory norms on the excavation of sediments from rivers so that the silt can be used for preparing bricks.

Ashoke Kumar Tewari, President of BBOA said the brick kiln owners under the fold of their organisation are following the anti-pollution norms set by the state Pollution department.

He said excavation of sediments and de-silting all stagnant as well as flowing water bodies like ponds, lakes, canals, tributaries and rivers should be allowed. "We have written to the state Irrigation and Urban Development department so that brick field owners are allowed to excavate the sediments which can be used for preparing bricks. This will also help the government to conduct the dredging of rivers and other water bodies," Tewari said. He also said brick fields in the state have always given sincere response to all pollution norms laid by the government from time to time. Maximum units have been converted to high draught kilns with zig-zag system long back when the system was not even heard of in others parts of the country.

The organisation also claimed that the silt-based brick making process will effectively address the issue of top soil based brick making. A lots of regulatory guidelines have been issued to regulate the operations of brick fields.

It also demanded that no guideline relating to the location should be imposed on existing units which have been regularly paying royalty, cess, khazna and commercial tax. The demands of the organisation include simplification of the process for issuing environmental clearance and de-siltation of all rivers and canals. In Bengal, there are approximately 7,000 brick units providing employment to 10 lakh, claimed the organisation.