The move aims at boosting use of environment-friendly construction products and supplies
India’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has recently announced plans to end use of burnt clay bricks in the region’s upcoming government projects, and in exchange use eco-friendly construction supplies made from waste material.
According to The Telegraph, the ministry has directed The Central Public Works Department of India (CPWD) to examine possibility to ban use of burnt clay bricks in its projects. The Ministry aims on adopting available technologies to produce environment-friendly bricks by utilization of waste material, claim sources.
For the record, CPWD is a government authority in charge of public sector works. The department, under the MoHUA, deals with construction of roads, buildings, bridges, flyovers, complicated structures like auditoriums, stadiums, laboratories, border fencing, bunkers, border roads, etc. As the largest construction agency of the Centre, CPWD mostly constructs office buildings of central government and self-governing bodies among others across the country.
As per sources, traditional brick kilns used for making burnt clay bricks produce high volumes of air pollution as they use coal as a source for fueling the furnace in brick-making process.
Reportedly, in October, the Supreme Court-appointed the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) to push NCR states to confirm that all brick kilns in the region use the zig-zag technology, specified by the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF), which can reduce emissions by almost by 80%.
Moreover, in April, the National Green Tribunal had condemned Delhi and its neighboring states for not filing a reply on an appeal against illegal operation of brick kilns that eventually led to severe water and air pollution in the National Capital Region.
Reliable sources cite that CPWD, following the Ministry’s directions, has sought a feedback from its officials and asked them to submit estimated reports by December 11, 2018.