At a time when a people's movement is gaining momentum highlighting the environmental impact of the brick kilns in Thadagam valley in Coimbatore, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has said in reply to a query under the Right to Information (RTI) Act that it had not issued permits to any of the kilns.
K. Manivannan, District Environmental Engineer (Coimbatore North), gave the RTI reply to S. Ganesh of Thadagam, one of the members of the people's movement demanding a ban of red earth mining in the valley, which falls in the Palakkad gap of the Western Ghats, contributing much to the salubrious climate of Coimbatore.
Mr. Ganesh said that the reply from the TNPCB came as a shock as residents of five panchayats namely Thadagam, Nanjundapuram, 24 Veerapandi, Pannimadai and Somaiyampalayam were suffering pollution caused by 200-odd brick kilns which are being operational within an area of 45 sq.km.
“An IAS officer with a clean record should be appointed as a committee to inquire into the plundering of red earth in the valley, which has been going on for several decades without any restriction.
The inquiry should cover whether these brick manufacturing units were operating with all due licences and compliance of various rules. It should also check the environmental impact caused by the mining in the valley and the impact on the health of 40,000-odd people living in the five panchayats,” he said.
He alleged that several owners of the brick kilns had bought houses away from the five panchayats where pollution in the form of dust particles and smoke emanating from the kilns was high.
As per a 2013 study titled “Thadagam - Valley of brick kilns, lost river and disturbed wildlife” by EIA Resource and Response Centre, bricks are fired to a temperature of 700-1,100 degree Celsius, requiring a large amount of fuel.
“Combustion of coal and other biomass fuels in brick kilns results in the emission of suspended particulate matter (PM 2.5), including black carbon and gaseous pollutants like sulphur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.
The emission of these pollutants has an adverse effect on the health of workers, local atmosphere and vegetation around the kilns”, says the study.
Environmental activist K. Mohanraj said that the TNPCB should have sealed brick kilns if they had not given permission. “With such a major violation done by the authority, all the units which functioned illegally should be sealed immediately. Power to such units should also be disconnected,” he said.
Though contacted, Mr. Manivannan did not comment on the RTI reply.