Satkhira brickfields set to use rice husks, defying ban
Owners of the brickfields in the seven upazilas of the district are preparing to use rice husks to burn bricks in place of using coal, defying restrictions of the Department of Environment (DoE).
Most brick kilns have kept stockpiles of coal in the compounds of the brickfields, hiding wood and husks at other nearby places, local people said.
Burning bricks in these fields will start within a couple of days, they said.
As a result, owners of the zigzag brick kilns who constructed those using modern technology and spending several lakh taka, have to incur heavy losses.
There are 70 brick kilns in the seven upazilas of the district, most of which are run by using traditional technology.
Complying with the DoE directive, the owners converted 15/20 brick kilns into zigzag ones, using modern technology.
Dr Tarun Kanti Shikdar, director of Khulna divisional office of DoE, had given the order to convert the brick fields into modern technology-based ones like zigzag by September 20.
The owners were asked to use only coal in their brick fields instead of wood, husks and old tyres.
Contacted, deputy commissioner Dr M Anwar Hossain Hawlader said that the local administration will take stern actions against those using rice husks in place of coal in their brick fields.
Their license will also be cancelled if they do not follow the order, the DC said.
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