Mix rice husk ash with soil to make bricks, PPCB tells kilns owners

Tribune News Service

Patiala, October 28

Brick-kilns are using upper fertile layer of precious soil for making bricks. About 3,000 brick-kilns make hundreds and crores of bricks every year using this fertile soil. Similarly, a majority of industries in Punjab are using rice husk in their boilers, hence, producing a huge quantity of rice husk ash every day, which is being disposed off in low-lying areas causing air pollution with blowing wind.

Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) Kahan Singh Pannu advised the brick-kiln owners of the state to start mixing up to 30 per cent rice husk ash in the soil depending upon the texture of the soil to make bricks. With this, the precious fertile soil of Punjab will be saved and also lead to the scientific use of the rice husk ash which, otherwise, is an air hazard. These good quality bricks will give better rates and profit to the brick-kiln owners in form of fuel saving.”

The PPCB conducted a research using up to 40 per cent of rice husk ash mixed with clay to make bricks and the results were found encouraging due to carbon contents present in the rice husk ash which further make better quality of bricks on baking. It was further established that the quantity of the rice husk ash is directly and equally proportional to the saving of coal as fuel.

Earlier this year, the failure of state pollution control boards to tackle the menace of polluting brick-kilns, majority of which operate under political patronage, had forced the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to order closure of all kilns operating without permission. The state pollution control boards, including that in Punjab, were asked to send a compliance report within a fortnight.

The order came after the CPCB observed that the state pollution control boards “were required to enforce and ensure compliance of emission standards/guidelines by brick-kilns and take action against those failing to comply with the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981”.

The CPCB, in its order, said, “All brick-kilns operating without permission and valid consent from the state pollution control boards should be closed down with immediate effect.” The state boards have also been asked to ensure that fine dust does not accumulate around brick kilns.

“The area around the main brick-kiln should be paved with bricks to minimise fugitive dust emissions. This should be one of the conditions while granting the consent by state boards,” the order read.