Uttar Pradesh is taking decisive steps to regulate the brick kiln industry with a focus on environmental sustainability.
Departments including Environment, Pollution Control Board and GST are working in coordination to promote eco-friendly alternatives to traditional red bricks.
Besides, based on the legal opinion of former Chief Justice of India (CJI) B N Khare, an amendment to the 2012 Brick Kiln Policy has been proposed.
These efforts aim to enhance environmental protection while streamlining and making the industry more sustainable.
The UP brick kiln industry is undergoing a fresh round of regulation, with a renewed focus on pollution control and environmental conservation.
A proposal to amend the existing policy has been prepared based on the legal opinion of the former CJI.
Once approved, the amendment will help regularise previously closed brick kilns and ensure long-term stability and sustainability for the industry.
Before 2012, there was no clear policy for brick kilns in UP. Post-2012 policy, nearly 6,500 brick kilns were declared illegal.
However, due to the irregular functioning of many kilns, appropriate tax collection could not be ensured.
Moreover, many kiln owners operating under the rules faced financial losses. This led to an atmosphere of uncertainty in the entire brick kiln industry.
Under the directives of UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, a comprehensive strategy was formulated for regularising the brick kiln industry while ensuring soil conservation and pollution control.
To address the decline in tax collection, it was decided that the list of all brick kilns approved by the Pollution Control Board would be submitted to the GST Department.
This step is aimed at making the tax collection process more efficient. It will also promote transparency and tax compliance in the brick kiln sector.
Emphasis is also being laid on promoting alternatives to traditional red bricks.
In a coordinated meeting of the Public Works Department, Housing and Urban Development and the Environment Department, it was decided to promote eco-friendly options such as fly ash bricks, AAC blocks, and paver blocks.
According to officials from the Environment Department, these alternatives will not only reduce excessive exploitation of soil but also help control pollution by utilizing industrial waste such as fly ash.
These initiatives are expected to provide a new direction and regulatory framework for the brick kiln industry in Uttar Pradesh.