20% paddy straw as fuel: Brick-kiln owners question govt’s capability

Tribune News Service

Neeraj Bagga

Amritsar, November 14

Brick kiln owners have raised questions on the six-month deadline (till May 1, 2023) given to them to comply with instructions to use 20 per cent straw as fuel. They expressed their apprehension on the capability of the government to provide adequate supply of stubble pellets to 2,700 kilns in state.

Mukesh Nanda of Brick-Kiln Association of Punjab said the state would require over 400 units to turn the stubble in pellet form to feed to kilns by May 2023, when the law will come into force. Whereas, as of now, only couple of such units were available, that too, in and around Ludhiana.

He said second concern was of availability of stubble which remain in the field for couple of weeks every year. While the labour intensive industry functions only between November to June every year.

Kiln owners say government was only dictating them terms, but not giving any help. Anil Aggarwal, another brick kiln owner, said coal prices have zoomed to Rs 24,000 per tonne. Instead of providing relief to the industry, the government increased the GST on the bricks from five per cent to 12 per cent, he said.

Now, as per the guidelines of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) he got his kiln fitted with induced high draft zig-zag technology.

Kiln operators said a large number of kilns shifted to zig-zag induced high draft technology to comply with the guidelines of the Central Pollution Control Board. Each kiln had to invest nearly Rs 50 lakh.

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