Appeal to shut down illegal brick kilns in WGH villages

TURA, Feb 15: At least three NGOs from the plain belt of West Garo Hills (WGH) — ADE, GSMC and GSU — have written to the range forest officer of the Hollaidanga range seeking his intervention into the pollution causing brick kilns that have been surreptitiously set up in the villages of Bamundanga – Nolbari near Phulbari.
In their complaint submitted on February 8, the NGOs have stated that numerous illegal brick kilns (industry) have illegally set up operations between the Bamundanga – Nolbari villages and not only were these operations illegal in nature, they were causing harm to the residents of the area through pollution.
“It has become unbearable to stay in these areas as residents have begun to face problems with breathing. These kilns are burning wood whose fumes reach nearby villages making it difficult to stay. We seek immediate action against these kilns so that the menace is taken care of at the earliest,” said Amit Marak, Chibinang GSU president.
The NGO pointed to the presence of at least nine such illegal setups in the Bamundanga – Nolbari section of Phulbari constituency alone, to go with the hundreds more that have been set up elsewhere – all within the plain belt.
It may be mentioned that due to the huge number of illegal brick kilns in the plain belt, Sec 144 CrPC has been imposed though it has hardly made any form of an impact due to the laxity in implementing orders put forward by the WGH Deputy Commissioner. The order was passed more than 2 weeks ago though till date not even one such illegal brick kiln has been acted against.
Earlier, residents of Rajabala constituency also raised the scepter of illegal brick clamps (hundreds in numbers) that have been set up with any form of official sanction. However, the ‘laxity’ of the police and forest department in shutting them down has raised serious concerns with those concerned over the pollution being caused and the huge loss of forest cover from the illegal timber that is being used as fuel for these kilns.