Sawmill at Brickfields in Barguna: Threatened Environment and Biodiversity
//Saifullah Nasir, Barguna Correspondent//
In Barguna’s Amtali, the owners of the kilns are cutting bricks and burning bricks by putting sawmills (self-mills) in 6 brick kilns. Different species of plants are being cut in it. The environment is disturbed. Biodiversity under threat.
The locals allege that the owners of the brick kiln are managing the people of the licensed company and the owners of the kiln are cutting the wood and burning the bricks by putting sawmills in the brick kiln. The administration sees that these brickfields have sawmills.
It has been seen that there are 22 brickfields in 7 unions in the upazila. Among them, ADB, Mridha, Five Star, MKS, HRT, SSB and MCK do not have drum chimneys in the brickfields.
Meanwhile, on January 17, the executive magistrate of the mobile court of the environment department Nawreen Haque inspected the brick kilns and fined each brick kiln owner Tk 14 lakh and ordered to close the brick kilns at the same time. Section 7 of the Brick Making and Kiln Installation (Regulation) Act, 2013 states that no person may use any fuel wood as fuel for burning bricks in bricks. Article 7 further states that brick kilns cannot be set up in residential, protected or commercial areas and agricultural lands. Violation of these sections is punishable by imprisonment for three to five years or fine of not more than three lakh rupees and both.
Md. Madhu Pada, owner of Five Star Brickfield, admitted to installing sawmills in the brickfields. Then he avoided answering the question that you (Madhu Pada) are stronger than the administration.
Amtali Forest Officer Firoz Alam said it was completely illegal for a girl to cut wood by putting a sawmill in a brick kiln. Legal action will be taken immediately after the on-the-spot inspection.
Md Kamruzzaman, deputy director of the Barisal Environment Department, said they were avoiding illegal brickfields despite repeated calls. Necessary action will be taken through speedy mobile court.
Barguna Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Piyush Chandra Dey said legal action would be taken soon to stop the illegal brick kilns.
