‘Polluting’ brick-kilns in NCR to be closed for four months

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 21

The booming realty sector is set to be adversely hit in the National Capital Region (NCR) with brick-kilns not conforming to environment norms slated to be closed for four months—October to January.

In compliance with the directions of the Supreme Court-monitored Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority headed by Bhure Lal, the Haryana Government has ordered closure of the brick-kilns that had not converted from natural draft to induced draft technology (popularly known as zig zag technology).

Sources said of the over 350 brick-kilns in the NCR districts falling in Haryana, about half are yet to switch over to the zig zag technology.

The final closure orders had been served as the defaulting brick-kilns were given enough time to comply with norms prescribed by the authority that mandated the brick-kilns to “install improved emission technology either zig zag or any other technology approved by the Haryana State Pollution Control Board”.

With the closure of the brick-kilns, the construction industry and the common man is set to face hardships, as the existing brick-kilns will be hard pressed to meet the increasing demand for the bricks. The NCR districts surrounding Delhi have emerged as a hub of construction activity with a host of real estate players coming up with residential and commercial projects in these areas.

The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority headed by Bhure Lal was constituted by the Supreme Court with a view to suggest ways and means to control air pollution in the NCR falling around Delhi in the states of UP, Rajasthan and Haryana.