Mohsin MunirBrick-kilns to be closed again from 20th OCT 2019
By Team Overc’s – October 4, 2019
Following the year 2018, Punjab government has decided yet again to close brick kilns throughout Punjab starting from 20th October 2019. Brick kilns were closed for the tenure of October 2018 to December 2018 to successfully prevent the environment from possible dense smog before the start of winter season. Only those brick kilns will be allowed to operate that have converted to the zig zag kiln technology.
There is no doubt that the decision to close down brick-kilns in Punjab was motivated by the desire of the authorities concerned to address the issue of environmental degradation. The decision was taken at the recommendations of the Smog Commission which also asked brick-kilns owners to convert their brick kilns to new zigzag technology during the closure period. It was also decided that substandard fuel being used in brick kilns will not be tolerated during this period. Brick Kilns Owners Association of Pakistan is supportive of the governmental requirement to adapt zigzag technology and in fact a model plant has also been set up in Lahore but its demand that the Government should subsidise the adoption of the technology also deserves consideration by the Government. The money that the Government spends on tackling the consequences of environmental pollution should better be spent on environment friendly technology. There should be no whimsical decisions of closing down brick-kilns as it amounts to depriving the construction sector of a vital ingredient for construction. Already, the decision has led to substantial increase in price of bricks and weak enforcement and vigilance means the price-hike would not be reverted even after reopening of the brick-kilns.