Kendrapara: Brick kiln owners are flouting rules for setting up units in the district with help from corrupt officials, activists have alleged.
As per a government order in 2005, no brick kiln unit is allowed on forest land, on prime agriculture land, and within 500metres from railway lines, the National Highways, the state highways etc. Also, this is not allowed within 250metres of the flood embankment or 500metres of the river bed. Kilns are allowed only a certain distance away from the periphery of a town. All these norms are being violated and officials are helping errant kiln owners by taking bribe, it is alleged.
Members of the Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhiajan(OSAA) approached the district administration recently and demanded immediate action against errant brick kiln owners.
Illegal brick kilns are mushrooming in Tikhiri, Kyerabanka, Bijayanagar, Petachella, Chakada, Talasanga, Dumuka, Karilopatana, Antei, Sahaspur, Garapur, Indupur, Koro, Baro, Nikirai, Aul Sadar, Batipada, Mahu, Gobindapur,Singiri, Pattamundai Sadar, Badajaria, Kathiapada, Gunupur, Ainipada, Derabish Sadar, Harianka, Chhoti Mangalapur, Gahaga Narasinghpur, Garadapur, and Nadiabarai revenue circles of this district.
As many as six chimney brick kilns and hundreds of illegal brick kilns were set up in the district in recent times. These are a major cause of land degradation, soil erosion, rising temperature and air pollution. Brick kilns owners have been setting up units at river beds of Chitroptala, Luna, Govari and Brahmani in gross violation of rules, but they have help from corrupt officials of the respective revenue circle.
The district labour officer, state pollution control board officials, RIs and tehsildars allegedly take huge bribes from brick kiln owners and help them flout norms, alleged Ranjan Kumar Das and Pramod Kumar Swain of the OSAA.
As per reports of the district labour department, six chimney brick kilns are operating in the district, while four such kilns are functional in Marshaghai tehsil whereas two are operational in Marshaghai block. All these kilns have no proper licence.
The brick kilns in the region include the Siba Bricks, the Radhakrishna Bricks, the Durga bricks, Debi Bricks, the Sadaguru Bricks and the Radha Bricks. Only two chimney brick kilns – the Siba and the Radhakrishna have obtained permission from the factories and broiler department of Paradip. The other four chimney brick kilns have been manufacturing brick illegally, alleged OSAA.
Only four brick kilns have got nod from the pollution control board and they are the Radha Bricks, the Radhakrishna Bricks, the Shiba Bricks and the Durga Bricks, said the RTI activist-cum-convener of OSAA.
District collector Reghu G stated that he would look into the matter and take steps to close down the illegal brick kilns.
