GUWAHATI: On Monday, In the Kamrup district of lower Assam, at least eight illicit brick kilns that had been functioning without authorization were destroyed.
The illegal brick kilns in the Nagarbera region were destroyed by the district administration and the police.
"Some persons were operating brick kilns in the neighbourhood without the necessary authorization from the authorities. The district administration had not given the kilns any authorization to use their facilities.
The Assam State Pollution Control Board's required environmental clearance was also missing, according to a district administration officer.
The district administration has carried out operations against illicit and unlicensed brick kilns in various parts of the district, according to Banashree Malakar, Circle Officer of Nagarbera.
They disobeyed our order despite our earlier warnings not to operate the brick kilns without necessary government authorization, Malakar claimed.
She said, "Today we started a crackdown against these illicit brick kilns and tore them down. Operating illegal brick kilns in the region endangers not just the environment but also people. Such units emit smoke that causes asthma, scabies, and eye and skin conditions.
"Pollution in the surrounding areas is caused by the brick kilns' usage of firewood and subpar coal. Compared to merely 1% produced by good-grade coal, the coals utilised in the units yield 7–10% sulfur. The area's agriculture, woodland, and wildlife are also at risk due to the kilns," said a local environmentalist who wished to remain anonymous.
The Assam government's tax collection from brick kilns under the Assam Mineral Concession Rule, 2013, has significantly decreased, from Rs 3.07 crore in 2018–19 to Rs 1.32 crore in 2019–20 (up to January), excluding Sixth Schedule districts, according to a report that was published in 2021.
Parimal Suklabaidya, the state's environment, and forest minister responded to inquiries during the Assam Legislative Assembly's ongoing budget session by stating that the amount of earth used by brick kilns in 2019–20 (up to January) is 362,928.774 m3, which is also half of the previous year's total of 655,906.15 m3.
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