Toxic fumes from brick kiln affect crops, pollute environment

Boro paddy on at least 30 acres of land is getting damaged due to toxic fumes emitting from a brick kiln at Boali village in Sundarganj upazila of the district.

Locals said a brick kiln named Sithi Bricks was set up on agricultural lands at the village ignoring rules and laws. It uses wood and coal for baking bricks and has a low chimney, which adversely affects crops, trees and plants in adjoining areas and pollutes the environment to a great extent.

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"I cultivated crop on three bighas of land adjacent to the brick kiln, but the plants are gradually drying up due to the smoke, ash and heat from the kiln," said Saiful Islam, a farmer of the village.

"I harvested early variety of boro from my two bighas of land next to the brick kiln, but got a negligible quantity of paddy against the expectation of over 40 maunds," said another affected farmer, Abdur Rahman, of the same village.

Denying crop damage from smoke and ash, the owner of the brick kiln, Rajib Rahman Dulal, said it might be caused by changing climate.
"Ash from the kiln spreads to the nearby houses, and covers the plants," said local resident Milon Mia.

Local people complained to the upazila nirbahi officer and asked for shifting of the kiln to another place to save crops, plants and the environment.

After visiting the affected area, Rashedul Huq Prodhan, assistant commissioner (land), told local farmers that appropriate measures would be taken against the owner of the kiln.