CG Fly Brick Association demands increase in rates, availability of raw material lacking

Raipur (TEAM NEWS BUDDY).Chhattisgarh Fly Ash Brick Association has announced to increase the rates of fly ash bricks from 1st February . Chhattisgarh Fly Ash Brick Association President Lokesh Sharma said that from 17.01.2023 till now, there has been no revision in the rates of its fly ash bricks, but due to continuous increase in the rates of cement and fly ash, the manufacturing cost of bricks has increased, in the last 4 months the price of cement has increased by about Rs 45 per bag. The rates of sand have increased and there is no rule for sand due to which the rates of sand are not fixed.

By making an amendment in the Gazette of India dated 1.1.2024, it has been made clear that the units manufacturing bricks from fly ash have to deliver the fly ash free of cost while bearing the transportation cost, but till now no decision has been taken on this. No kind of response has been given by the power plant owners.
Lokesh Sharma said that all the coal based power plants located in NTPC and Chhattisgarh government are not disposing of ash properly due to which pollution is increasing. Chhattisgarh Fly Ash Brick Manufacturers Association has lodged a complaint against NTPC and Chhattisgarh. We have submitted applications from all the coal based power plants located there and have demanded fly ash, but till now all the said power plants have not given any consent to give ash, due to which many fly ash brick industries are on the verge of closure, said Lokesh .

He further added that there is a ban on hand kilns of red bricks in the entire country, but around 300 to 400 illegal hand kilns of red bricks are being operated in every district of Chhattisgarh, which is being ignored by the Environment Department.

Paddy straw, coal and wood are being burnt in red brick kilns and due to the absence of a chimney, ash is spreading in the air and causing harm to the environment, but which is not being stopped by the Environment Department.
Lokesh pointed out departmental ignorance of their demand . GST Department:- The operators of such illegal kilns are causing loss to the government by operating illegal kilns without GST registration and rules are being flouted, but the GST department is not taking any action against the said illegal kilns.
Ignorance of the Mineral Department:- Fertile soil is mined illegally by the operators of red brick kilns and bricks are manufactured, but the Mineral Department does not take any action against such illegal kilns.
Rules for operation of hand kilns: – Farmers and potters who have their own farms can make bricks by taking soil from 25% of the farm area to run their livelihood, which is equivalent to 25 thousand bricks per month. But lakhs and crores of bricks are manufactured illegally in each hand kiln, which is against the rules.
Such kilns, which misuse the exemption given by the government, are being built near populated areas, near schools, near hospitals, near river banks and near permanent river culverts built by the government, causing soil erosion etc. These illegal red brick kilns are causing serious damage to the environment and revenue, which are being operated without any standards and are emitting serious amounts of carbon gas by using coal, causing irreparable damage to the environment.
He said that therefore, we demand the government to take immediate action against such illegal kilns.