By Shaurya Kshatri
Kathmandu, Dec. 20: Roughly five years ago, thousands of brick kilns operated across Nepal in almost medieval conditions. With outdated technology burning low-grade coals for fuels, these traditional kilns belched out tonnes of soot — darkening the skies, polluting the surrounding environment, and compromising the inhabitants’ health.
Back then, Movable and Fixed Chimney Bull’s Trench Kiln (FCBKT) were the most common design, which as per Prof. Dr. Sanjay Nath Khanal at the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kathmandu University, significantly contributed to poor quality of air.
The pollution emanating from such kilns was deemed so lethal that, as per a study conducted under World Bank’s regional initiative, it was responsible for 600 premature deaths and 4,800 DALYs (Disability Adjusted Life Years) in the year 2015 with an estimated $46 million worth of economic cost on public health.
Five years hence, the brick kiln industry, particularly in the Kathmandu Valley, has undergone some major positive changes, all of which came after the 2015 earthquake.
Along with much of Nepal, the brick industry was devastated by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake — flattening about a third of the brick kilns. But rebuilding presented an opportunity to build back better with improved technology.
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), together with the Federation of Nepal Brick Industries, MinErgy, GreenTech, and Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) undertook the rebuilding project.
Much of the improvement in the brick kiln sector is owed to this initiative, which until 2019, as per ICIMOD’s 2019 fact sheet, converted about 289 of the 1,035 FCBTKs to zigzag technology, reducing 1,134 tonnes of dust particles (SPM), with annual savings of 19,986 tonnes of coal valued at Rs. 539 million.
“As compared to FCBTK, where air flows in a straight-line path, zigzag patterns are much more beneficial. By stacking the bricks inside the kilns in a zigzag pattern, the heat snakes through the gaps more efficiently, ensuring coal is completely burned so less soot is produced,” illustrates Professor Khanal.
Banning such outdated technology, such as moving chimneys, had yielded greater benefits in the past, recounts environmentalist Bhushan Tuladhar. “In March 2002, Industrial Promotion
Board banned outdated Bulls Trench technology after denizens of Bhaktapur (where most kilns are located) rioted against pollution resulting in almost 24 per cent drop in pollution levels,” informs Tuladhar.
Having said that, environmentalist Tuladhar is also quick to point out that upgrading over 1,600 kilns of Nepal is still an uphill battle.
First of all, there are no policies or regulations exclusively targeted to the brick industry. In fact, it was the private sector that mostly initiated the aforementioned conversion to zigzag technology post-earthquake.
Suresh Shrestha, Director of Technology and Environment Section of the Ministry of Industry, says that the policy governing the brick sector is interlinked with other policies and acts.
Secondly, there are various other improved technologies and alternatives to bricks, which are yet to gain a firm footing in Nepal’s construction industry.
“Vertical Shaft Brick Kiln (VSBK) is said to be the most efficient and environmentally-friendly technology, which helps in reducing PM2.5, PM10, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide,” explains Professor Khanal. However, its adoption has been moving at a snail’s pace owing to large investments it requires. As per the National Policy Framework 2017 for the Brick Sector in Nepal prepared by MinErgy, there were 38 VSBKs with only 28 VSBKs in operation. Likewise, as Khanal mentions, out of the four VSBKs in Kathmandu Valley, only one remains active.
Furthermore, as a research jointly carried out by Kathmandu University and WHO’s Urban Health Initiative (UHI) suggests, 95 per cent of construction works in Nepal are covered by brick kilns, while the remaining five come from alternative bricks, prefabs, and Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC).
“A majority of households prefer bricks for construction in Nepal,” says Suyesh Prajapati, Programme Director of MinErgy. Despite improving technology and bringing eco-friendly methods of producing bricks, coal and firewood will continue to burn and pollute, adds Prajapati, stressing the need for alternatives to bricks.
The KU/UHI study further highlights this point, suggesting an ‘Aggressively Progressive’ model, which increases alternative brick production from five per cent to 36 per cent. As the study predicts, with the current brick kiln dominance scenario, the PM2.5 emissions will continue to remain above 230 tonnes per year up to 2030. However, if alternative brick productions are increased by 36 per cent, the PM2.5 emissions will reduce by over 84 per cent.
“Clearly, we must embrace alternatives such as rammed earth construction, ACC, prefabs to mitigate environmental problems,” elucidates Prajapati, who with his company MinErgy is working towards decreasing coal consumption at brick kilns. “Nepal imports coal from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and recently from the USA, which is both expensive and environmentally unsound. Therefore MinErgy is trying to use LPG gas as a substitute for coal and firewood to reduce energy consumption,” says Prajapati.
To promote such alternative sources, incentives and policies can help expedite the process to reduce pollution emanating from brick kilns.
The government has issued Kathmandu Valley Air Quality Management Action Plan-2020, which intends to improve the sector. Brick Kilns with capacity up to and exceeding 30 million bricks should mandatorily carry out Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Similarly, the government has made it mandatory to replace moving chimney BTK with modern innovations. However, according to Bhushan Tuladhar, this is often not followed, or rather settlements develop near the kilns after they are established.
“Although there are standards, regrettably implementation has been a problem,” admits Shrestha of the Ministry of Industry.
Despite an investment worth more than USD 100 million and employing over 246,000 workforces, brick kilns are still recognised as an informal sector and remain unorganised. However, given their impact on the environment and public health, policy support could speed up the process to make brick kilns more eco-friendly and sustainable.
– The Rising Nepal
