Brick manufacturers up in arms over stringent environment, state norms

Brick manufacturers of the state held protest rallies on Tuesday, demanding exemption from central and state government guidelines, which they contend are forcing several units to shut shop.

A huge protest rally, organised by the Gujarat Brick Manufacturer's Federation was organised in Ahmedabad, while a similar rally was also organised in Surat. Brick manufacturers handed over a memorandum to the officials listing their demands.

Led by Surat Jilla It Utpadak Samiti president Naveen Dalwadi, brick manufacturers of Surat, organised a rally from Gandhi statue in Chowk Bazaar to the district collectorate on Monday morning. Around 300 brick manufacturers from all over Surat district participated in the rally. The samiti made a representation to district collector Pankaj Joshi.

Brick manufacturers contend that guidelines of the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) and those of the state government were too stringent to follow and many brick manufacturing units would have to shut shop. Demanding exemption from these guidelines, brick manufacturers have decided intensify their protest.

According to central government guidelines, it is mandatory to use 25 per cent fly ash in making bricks. Brick manufacturers said that the sandy soil found in the state doesn't mix well with fly ash. Fly ash is a by-product of power generation units.

According to state government guidelines, all brick manufacturers need to erect a fixed chimney, while over 90 per cent of the brick units are `mobile units', which keep changing places every few months and the chimneys have to be moved every time, says Devendra Prajapati, president of Gujarat Bricks Manufacturers' Federation.

The state government through the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) has begun sealing several brick manufacturing units because they do not have fixed chimneys and if this continues, most brick manufacturing units will have to shut shop.

There are about 1,000 big units and another 8,000 odd small-sized brick manufacturing units in the state, with a turnover of Rs 500 crore. The association said that with each unit requiring to invest between Rs eight and ten lakh in setting up fixed chimneys, the investment required is not feasible for units having a turnover of Rs 1 lakh.