Brick Kilns in India: MoEFCC Releases New Guidelines

 

Brick Kilns in India: Relevance

• GS 3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

 

Brick Kilns in India: Context

• Recently, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) came up with stringent standards for brick kilns to reduce air pollution from brick kilns.

 

MoEFCC Releases New conditions for brick kilns: Key points

• The standards are significant as they have come after seven years of deliberation.
• In 2015, the MoEFCC came out with a draft notification that proposed different particulate matter (PM) emission standards for natural draught and induced draught kilns.
• At that time, CSE (Centre for Science and Environment) had opposed the draft stating that state pollution control boards (SPCB) would not be able to monitor all 70-80,000 operational brick kilns in the country on a regular basis, due to lack of personnel.
• After 7 years of deliberation, MoEFCC finally came up with MoEF&CC notification 2022 putting stringent conditions on the brick kilns in the country.

 

 

MoEFCC New Notification on Brick Kilns

• MoEF&CC, has mandated allowing brick kilns only with zig-zag technology or vertical shaft or use of piped natural gas (PNG) as fuel in the brick-making process.
• The introduction of PNG as a fuel is a welcome step since its use in older technology like Fixed Chimney Bull’s Trench Kiln (FCBTK) will automatically reduce the PM emissions.

• Standard for PM emissions — 250 milligram per normal cubic metre (mg / Nm3)
• Existing brick kilns shall be converted to either zig-zag technology or vertical shaft or use of PNG as fuel in brick making within a period of one year in case of kilns located within a 10 km radius of non-attainment cities and two years for other areas
• All brick kilns shall use approved fuel such as PNG, coal, fire wood and / or agricultural residues. Use of pet coke, tyres, plastic, hazardous waste shall not be allowed in brick kilns
• Brick kilns shall construct permanent facility for port hole and platform according to the norms laid down by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
• Brick kilns shall follow fugitive dust emission control guidelines as prescribed by concerned SPCBs
• The brick kiln owners shall ensure that the roads utilised for transporting raw material or bricks are paved.

 

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