Dhaka, Oct 15 (News Network) - Joinal Miah, in his mid-50s, enjoyed a good health until he was a farmer. Things have changed fast when he started working in a brick kiln. Now he is undergoing treatment at a city hospital. 

"Doctors say he is suffering from by asthma," says Joinal's wife Rahima.

The smoke caused by low-quality coal used in brick-kilns contains poisonous sulpher-di-oxide, different oxides of carbon and nitrogen, iron and lead. This contaminated smoke is making the city's air even more polluted, causing various diseases, including asthma, to the city dwellers.

According to researches and surveys conducted by the World Bank and Unicef, environmental pollution, particularly air pollution, is responsible for 30 serious diseases.

With the increase in its population, a city needs infrastructures to accommodate these additional people. Although Bangladesh is still a poor country, there has been a significant change in its people's socioeconomic life. So, brick buildings and concrete roads are being constructed instead of traditional houses made with CI sheets and woods.

The rate of constructing buildings with bricks and concrete roads in the sprawling city of Dhaka is higher than any other places in the country due to rapid increase in its population. Brick is widely used in constructing buildings and roads due to scarcity of stones. This is perhaps the reason why there are too many brick-kilns around the capital.

If one enters Dhaka city through any of the points like Aminbazar, Keraniganj, Fatullah, Pagla, Tongi and Ashulia, he or she will inevitably see so many bazaars, columns of chimneys and smokes.

Statistics show that there are more than 3000 brick-kilns across the country of which 522 are situated around capital Dhaka. Most of them have been set up alongside rivers, canals and roads. According to an estimate, about 80 crore bricks are produced in these brickfields every year.

"Like Dhaka, there is no city in the world that is surrounded by so many brick-kilns," says Prof AQM Mahbub, a teacher of Geography and Environment Science at Dhaka University.

He says, "Taking the environmental pollution into consideration, the use of woods was completely banned. But, this rule is hardly practiced. Not only wood, low quality coal and even plastic, rubber and tires are used in the brick-kilns and emitting poisonous black smoke, polluting the air of Dhaka, a city of 15 million people. Dhaka is the worst for living among South Asian cities."

According to the Ministry of Forest and Environment, the air pollution in Dhaka has not improved that much despite banning of two-stroke auto-rickshaws and tempos, and the blame goes to the brick-kilns. 

Kamal Hossain, a brickfield owner, said 400 to 1,200 metric tons of coal is burnt every season in one brick-kiln. Besides, at the beginning of the season, every kiln requires 7,500 to 30,000 kilograms of firewood to light up the coal.

Environmentalists say the brick-kilns release hundreds of tons of smoke, dust and carbon. These injurious elements do not confine to the air of adjacent areas of the brickfields, but also travel to other areas, affecting a large section of people.

Humayun Kabir, an associate professor of Geography and Environment Science at the Dhaka University, says the remains of materials burnt in the kilns are increasing the acidity of soil. As a result, the fertility is decreasing. The growth of trees and fisheries are also being affected by the brick-kilns.

He further says the amount of arable land is reducing because of the use of soil in the brickfields. Besides, the cropland adjacent to the brick -kilns is getting unsuitable.

Under section 5 of the brick burning-related law enacted in 1989, the use of firewood is banned. This law was amended twice in 1999 and 2001. Despite including new provisions, the trend of setting up of brickfields violating rules has not stopped. 

The provision of using 120-feet chimney is also violated. The amended law says no license should be issued for setting up a brickfield within three kilometers of residential area and fruit gardens. If any license was issued earlier before the amendment allowing setting up of a brickfield within the prescribed distance, the concerned license holder will remove it to a suitable location, or else, the license will be cancelled. But no one cares about it.

Badrun Laila, an officer at the Disaster Research Training and Management Centre, says, "With the expansion of Dhaka city’s periphery, the number of brickfields is going up in an unplanned manner. Brickfields badly affect trees and fertility of land in the localities. The air of brickfield-surrounded Dhaka is worst in South Asia."

Making some recommendations for averting any environment disaster, environmentalist Prof Nazrul Islam says the use of 120-feet chimney stipulated by the government will have be ensured so that the smoke cannot go downward. The pollution will go down if the use of gas in brickfields can be increased. Besides, the government can fix certain areas for setting up brick-kilns. 

Prof Mahbub emphasizes the use of solid concrete and ceramic bricks as an alternative to conventional ones. He also stresses the need for using good quality coal and special chimneys that can filter carbon from the smoke.

- NewsNetwork