Brick kilns eating up Tangail forests

Piled up firewood and timber at a brick field in Gahatial. PHOTO: STAR

Reserve forests in the region are shrinking day by day as trees are felled indiscriminately for use in brick kilns endangering the ecology.

According to a survey, at least 15 lakh trees are axed in the area during each dry season.

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At least 15 thousand maunds of firewood are required in one round in a brick field while most of the brick fields produce bricks eight times a year.

According to an estimate, at least 120 thousand maunds of firewood are required at each brick field in a year.

In the brick fields, timbers are being used violating official rules by allegedly managing a group of officials and employees of administration and Forest Department.

During a visit to several areas this correspondent found 15 brick fields within reserve forests of Dhalapara and Rasulpur unions. Timbers are used indiscriminately in the brick fields in stead of coal.

According to official rules, each brick field should have a 120 feet high chimney. But in most cases its height varies from 25 feet to 30 feet. Because of this phenomenon, the ecology is being threatened.

A brick field owner told on condition of anonymity that executives of Brick Field Owners Association maintain liaison with the administration. It is a common practice to donate money in its fund which ranges between Tk 30,000 to 40,000, he said.