Adverse effects of Brick kilns on human life, agriculture and horticulture sectors

SHAKEELA ANDRABI

SRINAGAR: The brick kilns in Budgam district are posing threat to human life and affecting agriculture and crop production, which have become cause of concern for hundreds of farmers.
As per the figures of the State Pollution Control Committee and District Administration Budgam, out of 282 brick kilns operating in Kashmir, 232 are located in Budgam. According to the Geologists, Brick Kilns contaminate soil and water due to the leakage of toxins. This makes the water unfit for drinking and cooking and leaves the soil unusable for cultivation. “Brick kilns are already polluting the environment and these also have caused a lot of damage to the karewa land. In the future the agricultural land would face further damage if the excavation continues like this,” a farmer added.
“Karewa was the natural topography in Kashmir but it is being damaged and pollution and particulate matter is also increasing which affects vegetation,” the resident said. According to local people, they are suffering from multiple diseases like chest infections and allergies.
Sajad Ahmed, a resident of Nasullah Porasaid, over the years they have been voicing their concern against brick kilns and they were able to stop some brick kilns in the area. “We have been able to stop few brick kilns and saved hundreds of Kanals of productive land after so much agitation. We were also able to demolish two brick kilns at with the support of civil society, pollution control board and district administration,” he said. He said that fertility of the land in and around the brick kilns has affected crop production, especially paddy in the villages. “In Budgam, the green pastures and huge paddy and landscape fields were once famous and these have been affected due to smoke of churning chimneys, tipper trucks and brick loads across the village fields,” Sajad Ahmed said. Syed Nissar Ahmed, a resident of Kuzwera Chadoorasaid ,the soil of this area is rich for plum production but due to brick kilns they have observed a sea of changes in their plum orchards over the past years and plum production has also been affected.