Multan, Sept 22nd: Anjuman Malikan Bhatta Khisht (Brick Kiln owners Association) have alleged the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) is harassing and extorting money by issuing notices while government, in a big relief to brick entrepreneurs, allowed them to continue using fixed chimney bull trench kiln (FCBTK) for another six months. The order allows brick kilns with FCBTK technology to operate till September 30, 2019. Addressing a Press conference at Multan Press club Umer Farooq and Muhammad Amjad Jagwal alongwith the kiln owners from Faisalabad, Jhang,Sahiwal, Shorkot, Chichawatni, Mian Chunnu, Khanewal,Kabirwala,Shujabad and Jalalpur pirwala alleged that EPA had introduced Zig Zag technology to alleviate the pollution while sacientists say that there is no utility of this technology because Carbon di oxide (CO2) is a part of fire.There is no device to change the Carbon dioxide into Oxygen.They contended that Government has held the Brick Kilns responsible for smog in Punjab but there is no truth in this blame. Smog is travelling from India to Pakistan where farmers burn the remainders of their crop.They claimed that contractors are not easily available for adopting the new technology and those who are available are quoting heavy rates. The same problem is being faced with the availability of trained workers. “Workers who are skilled to work in zig zag kilns are charging heavy prices. For example, a fireman who has monthly pay of Rs 8000 is now charging Rs 12,000 for the same job. All these factors have slowed down the conversion process, and hence, more time should be provided to us,” says Amjad Jagwal general secretary of brick kiln owner association.Additionally, the non-operation of brick kilns between October 2018 and February 2019 has created a demand and supply gap, which has resulted in increase in price of bricks. This has also hampered infrastructure projects due to non-availability of bricks in the market. They further said that Foreign NGOs were sabotaging the Pakistan's small industry like brick kilns to render thousands of labourers jobless.They further said that restrictions of axle load weight for truckers had increased the cost of production because they are supplying less weight coal on same charges of carriage. It may be recalled that Brick kilns with FCBTK technology have to pay a fine of Rs 25,000 per month if capacity of kiln is equal to or more than 30,000 bricks per day. The fine is Rs 20,000 per month if capacity of kiln is less than 30,000 bricks per day.
