Brick kilns pose serious threat to health and environment

Young Bites. Dated: 9/11/2018 9:51:53 AM


VK Gupta
Jammu, Sep 10
Mushrooming of several brick kilns is a matter of great concern and needs urgent attention, which are posing a serious threat to agricultural land and people’s health. Further, these kilns are promoting employment of child labor and operating without complying to pollution control norms.
Emission of black smog from the burners of these brick kilns established in agricultural lands is continuously increasing health and environmental risks in the surroundings.
Neither the district administration nor any other government machinery took a single legal action against any brick kiln owner to date. People of the vicinity are being suffering from short of breath, liver diseases and other respiratory ailments due to the black smog emerging from the established brick kilns. The activity of burning coal in these kilns is resulting in the emission of harmful gases such as carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide that are responsible for serious rise of bronchitis and asthma in the locality, particularly among the youth. Brick kilns have not only added to air pollution but have also turned large swathes of arable land barren due to excessive digging of mud using excavators
Unauthorised brick kilns are running without complying with the pollution norms and necessary clearances from the authority because they are hand in gloves with the concerned persons. Govt should launch special drive against them with an intention to save our future generation from the harmful effects of the same. The authorities have apparently turned a blind eye to all this frenzy that has been unfolding on a large scale. With increasing population, demand for bricks for construction is also increasing, thereby established brick kilns deteriorate natural resources such as soil, water and air. The kilns are also undoubtedly posing a risk to people’s health, many people in surroundings are suffering from asthma, jaundice and other ailments. In a quest for rapid economic growth, development of modern technologies have been playing a determining role. In the process of accelerating urbanization and industrialization, one should not forget that protecting the environment should be given importance as well. The daily lives of the residents has become hectic and several families have already migrated to other, safer places. Despite offering jobs to hundreds of local people, operation of the brick kiln industries is putting human health and environment in jeopardy. Authorities should come up with a strategy to protect the environment and the agricultural lands without beating around the bush.

 

Face to Face

Face To Face With Atul Kumar Goel (IPS) DIG, Jammu-Samba-Kathua Range J&K... Read More
 

FACEBOOK

 

Twitter

 
 

Daily horoscope

 

Weather