Inswareb to promote 900 Fal-g brick units across the country this fiscal

Vizag-based Institute for Solid Waste Research and Ecological Balance (Inswareb) is all set to promote 900 Fal-g brick manufacturing units across the country this fiscal.

For the purpose, the institute is receiving financial assistance from international agencies.

Under the clean develop mechanism (CDM) project, three international agencies "� World Bank, Japanese Green House Gas Reduction Fund and Germany-based KFW Carbon Fund "� have directed Inswareb to promote 900 Fal-g brick manufacturing units in the country during this fiscal under the carbon credit scheme, N Kalidas, director of Inswareb told Business Standard.

The three agencies would extend financial support to entrepreneurs who, in turn, would promote Fal-g brick manufacturing units depending on their production capacity and savings on emissions of waste gases in the atmosphere.

An investment of Rs 6-7 lakh (exclusive of land cost) is required to set up a 6,000-8,000 Fal-g bricks per day capacity manufacturing unit.

The utilisation of Fal-g bricks has been increasing gradually, especially in Andhra Pradesh. Of the 1,500 Fal-g brick manufacturing units in India, 800 units are in Andhra Pradesh. And of the 900 units that Inswareb is proposing to promote in India, 600 units will be coming up in the state alone, Kalidas said.

According to him, Andhra Pradesh currently produces more than 1,750 million Fal-g bricks a year.

"This production will be doubled by 2006-07 as more units will come up. The main raw material for manufacturing Fal-g brick, fly ash, is available in abundance here. A few thermal power stations too are supplying fly ash to the brick manufacturers, free of cost. Apart from this, some of the existing clay brick manufacturers have also started manufacturing Fal-g bricks," he said.

Currently, Fal-g bricks are being used in the construction of buildings only. But Inswareb and other industrial waste management organisations have been advocating that Fal-g bricks be used in the construction of rural roads and in irrigation projects too as it will give better life with less maintenance besides reducing the construction cost, Kalidas said.

From April this year, the price of Fal-g bricks was increased by 10 paise in the state due to VAT and the hike in cement prices.

At present, Fal-g bricks (9X4.5X3 size) are priced at Rs 1.15-Rs.1.35 depending on the quality.