Some 500 brick kilns have initially been identified as the most polluting in the country and the government will shut down the existing traditional brick kilns in a planned way.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury told Parliament on Tuesday while replying to a supplementary question from Awami League lawmaker Nur Uddin Chowdhury Noyon (Laxmipur-2) in the House.

Read: Saber Hossain Chowdhury appointed PM's ‘special envoy for climate change’ 

“We’ve taken a 100-day programme. We’ve targeted the brick kilns with at least 120-feet chimneys, which are most responsible for air pollution,” he said.

“We’ve initially identified 500 brick kilns,” he said, adding that the total annual production of the brick kilns is some 2500 million bricks but now the blocks production capacity is 3000 million ones in the country.

Saber Hossain, however, said shutting down the brick kilns suddenly is not the solution to the problem. “We’ve to go to the environment-friendly system from the traditional production of bricks,” he said.

“We’ll march forward to the environment-friendly bricks. But we’ll shut down the existing brick kilns in a planned way so that the development works are not hampered and the prices of bricks go high,” he added.

The environment minister said Bangladesh is going to blocks production instead of brick production within the next one or two years.

He sought cooperation from all members of parliament in this regard. 

In reply to another supplementary question from AL lawmaker Mohammad Sayeed Khokon (Dhaka-6), the environment minister said the government identified the sources of air pollution in Dhaka.

Read: 100-day action plan will be implemented, says Saber Hossain Chowdhury 

“We’ve identified sources of air pollution. We’re taking some steps there (to check air pollution). Traditional brick kilns located surrounding Dhaka were brought under watch,” he said.

Sayeed Khokon in his question asked if the government has any specific plan to check air pollution in Dhaka.

The Minister admitted that Dhaka city frequently is named for one of the worst three cities in terms of air pollution in the world.

He said the country’s brick kilns are polluting air on the one hand and on the other hand some 130 million metric tons of agricultural soils (top soil) are used in these brick kilns.

Saber Hossain also stressed the need for raising awareness to prevent transportation and installation of uncovered construction materials particularly sands and cements in a bid to check air pollution.

Read more: Is There Any Alternative to Brick Kilns?