Task Force to Tame Carbon (CO2 and Black Carbon) from Brick Kilns

From the Telegraph

Patna, Jan. 31: Deepak Kumar Singh, the secretary of the environment and forests department, today called for setting up a task force for cleaner brick production in the state.

While speaking at a workshop at the Beltron Bhavan in the state capital, Singh said: “The role of the task force would be to implement new eco-friendly technology and make them popular among people. The task force would also spread awareness.”

The workshop on “Accelerating low-carbon pathways for climate change mitigation in Bihar — Enabling transformation in the brick sector” was organised by Bihar State Pollution Control Board and Development Alternatives, New Delhi, in association with Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation, New Delhi.

Its objective was to map the brick sector in Bihar that has witnessed little change in the past 150 years.

This objective, however, is a Herculean task, claimed Soumen Maity, Development Alternatives programme director (technology). He said: “There are many issues plaguing the brick sector in Bihar. We, who are stakeholders in this, have gathered today to discuss these issues and find solutions for them. We want to give people a basket of choices so that they know how to cut down on carbon emission during brick production.”

Maity added: “This would tackle the problem of climate change.”

Sources said there around 100 brick kilns of different sizes in each district of the state.

Emission from brick kilns was not the only concern of the experts. They were also worried about agricultural land being used as brick kilns.

After inaugurating the workshop, Bihar State Pollution Control Board member secretary Manoj Kumar Singh said: “The brick sector is a priority for the state because of the high consumption of coal. It also plays a major role in climate change.”

He added: “It also has the potential to affect food production. If vast tracts of agricultural land is used as brick kilns, it will have an impact on food production.”

Entrepreneurs who attended the workshop called for modern technology to cut down on carbon emission at brick production sectors.

Sanjay Pratap Singh, an entrepreneur from Ara, who installed an eco-friendly vertical-shaft brick kiln last year, told The Telegraph: “At this workshop, we were provided information about fly ash bricks that are eco-friendly. However, it is difficult for small factories to produce such bricks, as the raw material used for it can be obtained only from National Thermal Power Corporation. Small kilns do not have access to raw material.”