18 brick kilns razed for violating pollution norm

KENDRAPARA: As many as 18 illegal brick kilns were demolished in Derabishi block after being found to be operating in violation of environment and pollution norms, on Thursday. Derabishi tehsildar Sambeet Satapathy said the brick kilns were razed in Raghudeipur village on the banks of Gobari river for violation of environment and pollution norms. “The kilns, located at riverside villages, did not have any permission to operate from the district administration. They also had not obtained the mandatory environmental clearance from Odisha State Pollution Control Board,” he said. 

Illegal brick kilns operating in the area not only pose a threat to the environment but also human beings. Smoke emanating from such units cause skin and eye diseases, scabies and asthma. The kilns which were demolished on the day had been violating provisions of Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, Environment Protection Act 1986, Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974 as well as Supreme Court guidelines. 

Use of firewood and low-quality coal at the brick kilns causes pollution in the nearby areas. The coal used in the units produce seven to ten per cent sulphur against only one per cent produced by good quality coal. The kilns also pose a threat to agriculture, forest and biodiversity in the area, said Biraja Pati, an environmentalist. 

Three  years back, the Odisha State Pollution Control Board and the district administration had closed down five brick kilns in Marsaghai and  Mahakalapada blocks of the district as per the order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).