Brick Kiln in India, guidelines for Brick Kiln, Standard for Building, raw materials, Brick making Process, Pollutants by Brick kiln, Impact on environment and Control Measures.

2. CONTENTS
• INTRODUCTION
• GUIDELINES
• RAW MATERIAL
• MANUFACTURING PROCESS
• POSSIBLE POLLUTANTS
• IMPACT
• POLLUTION CONTROL MEASURES
• REFERENCES

3. INTRODUCTION
• BRICKFIELDS COMES UNDER ORANGE CATEGORY
• WITH INCREASING POPULATION, DEMAND FOR BRICKS FOR CONSTRUCTION IS ALSO INCREASING
ESTABLISHING BRICK INDUSTRY AS A BOOMING INDUSTRY
• UNPLANNED AND UNAUTHORISED MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS DESTROY TOP SOIL OF AGRICULTURAL LAND
BEYOND RECLAMATION AND MAKES IT UN-USABLE FOR AGRICULTURE PRACTICES
• UN-PLANNED AND UN-SCIENTIFIC BRICK MANUFACTURING MAY HAVE ADVERSE IMPACT ON ENVIRONMENT
AND HUMAN HEALTH
• THE CENTRAL POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD, DELHI (CPCB) HAS ALREADY RECOGNIZED THE BRICK PRODUCTION
INDUSTRY A HIGHLY RESOURCE AND ENERGY INTENSIVE AS WELL AS POLLUTING INDUSTRY WHICH IS MOSTLY
DUE TO OBSOLETE TRADITIONAL PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES EMPLOYED IN INDIA
• LAND AREA NEAR THE KILN IS SUBJECTED TO HIGH TEMPERATURE MAKING IT UNFIT FOR USES IN
AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES AFTER BEING ABANDONED

4. BRICKFIELDS IN INDIA
• ~1,00,000 BRICK KILNS ARE WORKING EMPLOYING AROUND 23 MILLION WORKERS
• 2ND LARGEST PRODUCTION WORLD WIDE AFTER CHINA
• UNAUTHORISED SMALL SCALE PLANTS ARE SET UP WHICH IS A CRITICAL ISSUES

5. GUIDELINES
REGULATORY GUIDELINES:
• DISTRICT LAND & LAND REFORMS OFFICERS ARE THE EX-OFFICIO ENVIRONMENT OFFICERS WITHIN THEIR
RESPECTIVE JURISDICTIONS FOR THE PURPOSE OF GRANT OR REFUSAL OF CONSENT-TO-ESTABLISH (CTE)
AND CONSENT-TO-OPERATE (CTO) OF THE BRICK FIELDS/BRICK KILNS ON BEHALF OF THE STATE
POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
• NO OBJECTION CERTIFICATE SHOULD BE OBTAINED FROM THE AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT
• CLEARANCE SHOULD BE OBTAINED FROM THE CONCERNED IRRIGATION & WATERWAYS/ P.W.
DEPARTMENT AND ZILLA PARISHAD AUTHORITIES
• IN CASE OF MINING OF ‘BRICK EARTH’ AND ‘ORDINARY EARTH’ UP TO 5 HECTARES AND ALSO MORE THAN
5 HECTARES BUT LESS THAN 25 HECTARES, PRIOR ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE (EC) UNDER CATEGORY
‘B2’ PROJECTS FROM THE STATE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT AUTHORITY (SEIAA) SHALL BE
REQUIRED.

6.  LOCATION GUIDELINES:
NO NEW BRICK FIELDS/ KILNS SHALL BE ALLOWED TO BE SET UP IN THE FOLLOWING PLACES OR AREAS:
• LAND RECORDED AS AGRICULTURAL LAND/ ORCHARD/ FOREST
• 1.0 KILOMETRE FROM REGISTERED HOSPITALS, SCHOOLS, PUBLIC BUILDINGS, RELIGIOUS PLACES OR
PLACES WHERE INFLAMMABLE SUBSTANCES ARE STORED
• RADIUS OF 5.0 KILOMETRES IN NOTIFIED SENSITIVE AREAS SUCH AS ZOO & WILD LIFE SANCTUARIES,
HISTORICAL MONUMENTS, MUSEUMS
• 200 METRES FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE RAILWAY TRACKS, NATIONAL AND STATE HIGHWAYS, MAIN
DISTRICT ROADS, MAJOR BRIDGES AND EMBANKMENTS
• 200 METRES FROM RIVER BANKS
• ON TRIBAL LAND BY A NON-TRIBAL PERSON FOR MANUFACTURING/EXTRACTION EVEN IF WITH POWER OF
ATTORNEY/PARTNERSHIP DEED/ANY OTHER INSTRUMENT SO REGISTERED

7. STANDARDS TO BE ACHIEVED:
• STACK HEIGHT TO BE PROVIDED WITH DIFFERENT TYPE OF BRICK KILNS AND EMISSION STANDARDS
HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED BY MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT & FORESTS (MOEF), GOVT. OF INDIA UNDER
SCHEDULE I AT SL. NO. 74 OF ENVIRONMENT (PROTECTION) RULES, 1986 (AS AMENDED TIME TO TIME)
VIDE G.S.R. 543 (E) DATED 22.07.2009
• THERE ARE OTHER ACTIVITIES IN BRICK MANUFACTURING PROCESS LIKE MINING / QUARRYING OF CLAY,
HANDLING & TRANSPORTATION OF RAW MATERIAL / BRICKS WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO AMBIENT AIR
POLLUTION. MOEF HAS ALSO NOTIFIED NATIONAL AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS DATED 16TH
NOVEMBER, 2009

8. RAW MATERIALS
• CLAY
• SAND
• COAL
• WOOD
• BIOMASS
• WATER

9. MANUFACTURING PROCESS
• MATERIAL PROCUREMENT: THE CLAY IS MINED AND STORED IN THE OPEN.
• TEMPERING: THE CLAY IS THEN MIXED WITH WATER TO GET THE RIGHT CONSISTENCY FOR MOULDING. MINING
IS DONE MANUALLY WITH HANDS AND FEET SOMETIMES AND IN CERTAIN AREAS ANIMAL DRIVEN PUG MILLS
ARE USED.
• MOULDING: A LUMP OF MIX IS TAKEN ROLLED ON SAND AND SHAPED INTO THE MOULD. SAND IS USED SO THE
BRICK DOES NOT STICK TO THE MOULD.
• DRYING/LOADING: THE MOULD IS EMPTIED INTO THE DRYING AREA, WHERE THE BRICKS ARE ARRANGED IN A
HERRINGBONE PATTERN TO DRY IN THE SUN. AFTER TWO WEEKS, THEY ARE READY TO BE BURNT.
• FIRING: THE BRICKS ARE ARRANGED IN A KILN AND INSOLATION IS PROVIDED WITH MUD PACK. FIRE HOLES
LEFT TO IGNITE THE KILN AREA ARE LATER SEALED TO KEEP THE HEAT INSIDE. THIS IS MAINTAINED FOR A WEEK.
• SORTING: AFTER THE KILN IS DISASSEMBLED, THE BRICKS ARE SORTED ACCORDING TO COLOUR.

10. Moulding of bricks Drying of bricks
Burning of bricks
SOURCE:
HTTPS://CIVILENGINEERSPK.COM/BURNING-OF-
BRICKS/

11. POSSIBLE POLLUTANTS
• BLACK CARBON
• CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2).
• CARBON MONOXIDE (CO).
• SULPHUR DIOXIDE (SO2).
• NITROGEN OXIDES (NOX).
• SUSPENDED PARTICULATE MATTER (SPM).
• HIGH VOLUME OF BOTTOM ASH AS RESIDUE
• HEAVY METALS (LEAD & CHROMIUM)

12. SMOKE RISES FROM BRICK KILN CHIMNEYS ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF DELHI | PHOTO CREDIT: ALTAF QADRI
HTTPS://WWW.THEHINDU.COM/NEWS/CITIES/DELHI/NGT-RAPS-DELHI-OTHER-STATES/ARTICLE23448437.ECE

13. IMPACTS
• SOIL DEGRADATION
• EFFECT ON SOIL FERTILITY
• EFFECT ON AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION
• EFFECT ON VEGETATION
• EFFECT ON AQUACULTURE
• LOCAL AIR POLLUTION
• DISTURB FLOW OF RIVER, NATURAL STREAM
• HUMAN HEALTH ( SKIN DISEASE, EYE IRRITATION & RESPIRATORY PROBLEM)

14. POLLUTION CONTROL MEASURE
• ROADS SHOULD BE MAINTAINED
• CRUSHED COAL SHOULD BE USED FOR BETTER EFFICIENCY
• MINIMUM STACK HEIGHT SHOULD BE 30 METRE
• WATER SPRAYERS SHALL BE INSTALLED AND OPERATED AT STRATEGIC LOCATIONS
• MINIMUM 33% OF THE LAND ON WHICH INDUSTRY IS ESTABLISHED OR PROPOSED TO BE ESTABLISHED IS
COVERED BY PLANTATION
• THE BRICK KILNS SHOULD HAVE A BOUNDARY WALL OF 3M HEIGHT.
• ADEQUATE TREES SHOULD BE PLANTED UP TO 3M FROM THE BOUNDARY WALL.

15. References:
• https://pcbassam.org/Notice/brick/Guidelines%20of%20Brick%20Kiln%20in%20Assam.
pdf
• Palash Patra, Avijit Guray, Sandipan Ganguly; “A Study on Brick Kiln Industry in Pursura
Block of Hooghly District, West Bengal”.
• Gunjan Bisht and Sanjila Neupane; “Impact of Brick Kilns’ Emission on Soil Quality of
Agriculture Fields in the Vicinity of Selected Bhaktapur Area of Nepal”
• M. F. Jerin, S. K. Mondol, B. C. Sarker, R. H. Rimi and S. Aktar; “Impacts of Brick Fields on
Environment and Social Economy at Bagatipara, Natore, Bangladesh”