Brick kilns asked to switch to eco-friendly technology

Top official warns of crackdown if zigzag technology not adopted

RAWALPINDI:

Brick kilns across Punjab including in the Rawalpindi division have been given a 15-day deadline to switch to zigzag technology to overcome emissions and smog in winter.

In a video meeting with the kiln owners’ association, Punjab Ministry of Environmental Protection Dr Naeem Rauf made it clear that brick kilns will be shut and sealed in the first week of August if they failed to adopt the new method.

Many cities of Punjab face serious smog usually in winter and brick kilns having even more emissions than some of the factories are one of the major factors blamed for air pollution.

Brick kilns across Punjab will be closed from November 15 to January 15 to prevent smog, the official said.

Dr Rauf said that there was a huge increase in smog last year but this year we have sanctioned an early crackdown on smoke-emitting brick kilns before the onset of summer.

He said that prior to the crackdown, all kiln owners were being issued a formal warning to immediately remove the old technology and shift to the new environment-friendly technology. He said that after two weeks, they were going to conduct a crackdown on smoke-emitting brick kilns across Punjab.

Kiln Brick Owners Association Central President Shoaib Khan Niazi said that they want to keep the environment of Punjab neat and clean. He said that despite severe financial difficulties, a majority of kilns have shifted to new technology. He said that the kiln owners should be given discounts and special packages to purchase solar panels to deal with the power crisis.

Brick Kiln Association General Secretary Rawalpindi chapter Chaudhary Raheel said that the new zigzag technology was very expensive, costing around about Rs3.5 million.

He said that its results were also not encouraging. He said that instead of using new zigzag technology, the government should allow us to remove the smoke on their own. “We can minimize the emission of smoke by using cheaper technology,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 21^st, 2022.