Post News Network
Kendrapara, April 28: District collector Debraj Senapati has directed all the tehsildars of the district to close down all illegal brick kilns set up in violation of National Green Tribunal and Pollution Control Board norms within three days and submit a report in this regard, said Sanjay Rout, deputy collector.
Rout said the illegal brick kilns are contributing to an increased heatwave in the district along the coastal belt. This apart, locals have complained that the illegal brick kilns are responsible for massive land degradation, soil erosion, rise in pollution and temperature and depletion of groundwater levels.
Several locals had brought the issue of illegal brick kilns to the notice of the collector demanding closure of all such units across the district. Continuous digging of earth also weakens riverbanks, thus leading to a change in the course of rivers, the locals said.
About a thousand brick kilns were set up illegally in Kendrapara district this year, sources said, adding that the unauthorised brick kilns are mostly set up in agricultural land and also near riverbanks. They demanded that the district administration take steps against the brick kiln owners.
Each of these illegal brick kilns reportedly uses about eight tonnes of wood every day during brick-making season. The use of wood and coal leads to profuse carbon dioxide that contributes to air pollution. Temperatures are rising in the vicinity of brick kilns particularly during summer, said locals.
