Use of firewood in brick kilns leads to deforestation
Environment under threat in Khagrachhari
Logs stockpiled at a brick kiln for burning defying laws at Natunpara under Matiranga upazila in Khagrachhari. Photo: Jasim Majumder
The administration in the hill district of Khagrachhari is indifferent to extensive use of firewood by the brickfield owners that poses a threat to the environment here for long. The brickfield owners continue to use of firewood unabated in the brickfield kilns, violating the rules. Environmentalists fear the vast natural forest, including reserve one in the hill district, would disappear in near future if the illegal practice continues. There are at least 30 brickfields operating at eight upazilas here and about one crore maunds of firewood are used in the brickfields a year, district administration sources said. Worst more the reserved forests in the far-flung areas like Jugalchhari, Baillachhari and Alutilla are shrinking as the brickfield owners fall trees indiscriminately for firewood for their industries, they said. The brickfields use, more or less, huge quantity of timber instead of coal taking full advantage of the authorities concerned, environmentalists alleged. Of the brickfields, no one has license but never faces any problem to continue their operation as they appear smart enough to manage a section of officials, local media, forester officers and pressure groups, they said. An official of the district administration seeking anonymity told The Daily Star that most of the brickfield owners would get license soon as their applications are now under process. Abu Daud Muhammad, network member of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers' Association (BELA), said a brickfield needs at least 30 to 40 maunds of firewood for every single production while most of the brickfields usually go for producing bricks eight times a year. At least 2.4 lakh to 3.2 lakh maunds of firewood are required for each brickfield a year. Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon Forum Secretary Mohammad Khalilur Rahman said the brickfield owners plunder large number of trees in collaboration with a section of dishonest officials and employees of the forest department. Some forest officials directly help the brickfield owners, he said. “Apart from illegal use of firewood, most of the brickfields use only 20 to 30 feet high chimneys violating the existing rule instead of 120 feet high chimneys,” said Pradip Chowdhury, an environmentalist. Pradip, also the programme supervisor of Centre for Sustainable Development (CFSD), said the over all environment in Khagrachhari has been under threat due to gradual disappearance of forest. Pranab Barua, sub-assistant agriculture officer of Agriculture Extension Department (AED) Khagrachhari, said the water level is also going down due to deforestation because of the brickfields. Mohammad Rakib, owner of a brickfield at Alutilla, confessed to have using firewood in their brickfields, saying they usually first reach an agreement with the local journalists, foresters and some officials in this regard. Divisional Forest Officer Ali Kabir denying the allegation said he has heard about the large-scale use of timbers as fuel in the brickfields. He said use of timber is not alarming as they have already taken measures to deter the illegal practice. Deputy Commissioner AKM Khairul Alam said a committee has been formed to investigation into the use of firewood and chimney
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