Eco-friendly concrete block industry far from target amid market hurdles

The eco-friendly concrete block industry has not expanded as expected, primarily due to lack of political will, the dominance of illegal brick kilns, and challenges in developing the market.

This is despite government efforts to promote concrete blocks to reduce air pollution, protect agricultural land, and prevent environmental degradation. Alongside private sector growth, the government had set its aim for 100% use of concrete blocks in all public projects by 2025.

Ahsan Habib, a senior research officer at the Building Materials Division of the Housing and Building Research Institute (HBRI), told The Business Standard, "We provide regular training and technical support to encourage the growth and use of block bricks."

"But political decisions are essential to this end. Current government norms for constructing block brick factories of equal capacity are not being followed, and the use of block bricks should be mandatory in government tender documents," he added.

The fiscal year targets for using concrete blocks instead of burnt bricks were set at 10% for FY20, 20% for FY21, 30% for FY22, 60% for FY23, 80% for FY24, and 100% by FY25.

However, there has been no progress, and the environment department lacks records on advancements. Currently, concrete block production accounts for only 6-7% of burnt brick production.

Mohammad Abdul Motalib, deputy director (Air Quality Management) at the environment department, told The Business Standard, "The implementation of the targets has experienced a slight slowdown due to global factors, including the Covid pandemic. But the use of block bricks is increasing in government institutions, although the exact percentage is currently unknown. An initiative has been launched to conduct a survey, with results expected in six months. We anticipate significant progress by 2025."

Market creation faces major hurdles

The environment department reports that there are 164 registered block brick factories in the country, producing approximately 214 crore bricks annually. However, there are many small unregistered factories, bringing the total to over 250. The production capacity of these block brick factories is only 6-7% of that of burnt bricks.

Stakeholders argue that the government's instructions remain unimplemented, stating that without a market, factories cannot grow and that environmentally harmful brick kilns should be closed. While the environment department reports over 8,000 kilns, the actual number is believed to be closer to 10,000.

Lt Col (retd) Md Shakhawat Hossain, president of the Bangladesh Concrete Block Manufacturers Association, told TBS, "Blocks are produced naturally, and their psi, or pressure-bearing capacity, is established. Therefore, their cost is equivalent to or lower than that of burnt bricks, and production activities continue year-round. This means concrete blocks do not require extensive land for storage, taking up only one-fourth of the space needed for traditional brick kilns."

Regarding the challenges in market expansion, he stated, "Factories cannot grow without demand. We need to focus on market creation and eliminate invisible barriers. Additionally, policy support is essential. Currently, the environment department is not taking sufficient action. While VAT for certain-sized brick kilns is fixed at Tk5 lakh, concreate blocks face a VAT rate of 15%, resulting in a cost of Tk1.5 crore."

Axis Energy Limited has extensive experience in designing, drawing, and installing block brick factories, having established 42 facilities across the country.

Regarding the expansion of concrete blocks, Engineer Md Monirul Islam, managing director of the company, told TBS, "Currently, there is a Tk50,000 crore market for burnt bricks, and the country is losing about 42,000 acres of agricultural land due to environmentally harmful brick kilns.

"However, government decisions are not being implemented. The Local Government Engineering Department and Public Works are using only a few blocks, and various government agencies, including city corporations and development authorities, are not enforcing the instructions. Additionally, factories should be established in all districts to reduce transportation costs, and loans should be arranged on easy terms."

When asked about this, Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan told TBS, "We have halted the issuance of permits for new brick kilns, and a notification will be issued soon. The process of demolishing and removing illegal brick kilns has already begun."

"Additionally, we have sent letters to all government institutions instructing them to use concrete blocks in all construction projects, in line with government directives. We are actively pursuing these three initiatives," she added.

In 2019, a plan was initiated to transition from terracotta bricks to 100% block bricks by 2024-25 to conserve agricultural land. That year, parliament passed the Brick Manufacturing and Kiln Installation (Control) (Amendment) Act-2019.

Subsequently, the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change issued a notification outlining measures to gradually reduce soil use in government construction, including the repair and renovation of building walls, boundary walls, herringbone bond roads, and type "B" rural roads. Action plans and targets for using concreate blocks as an alternative to bricks were made mandatory.

But the notification specifies that this instruction does not apply to the construction, repair, and renovation of beige and sub-beige of roads and highways.

Traditional brick kilns fueling environmental and agricultural crisis

As of early this year, the environment department reported 8,686 brick kilns in the country, with 3,491 lacking environmental clearance. Over the last three years, 920 kilns were closed, though it's unclear if they remain inactive.

Each kiln produces 35-70 lakh bricks annually, with an average of 40 lakh bricks per kiln, totalling around 3,500 crore units per year. Each brick requires about 3 kg of soil, consuming approximately 10 crore tonnes of soil, mostly from agricultural topsoil, the department added.

The widespread use of burnt bricks in construction harms agricultural land fertility, threatening food security. Brick production relies on coal, wood, or gas, with harmful emissions from kilns polluting the environment. Forests are being depleted for fuelwood, further increasing carbon dioxide levels.

A study by the HBRI reveals that the country loses an average of 700 acres of agricultural land daily, with 17% of this loss attributed to brick kilns. Annual carbon emissions total approximately 40 million tonnes, with brick kilns accounting for 22.5%.

According to the World Bank's 2023 Country Environmental Analysis for Bangladesh, brick kilns are a major source of air pollution in greater Dhaka, contributing 13% of the total pollution in the region.

Under the environment protection and brick kiln control laws, brick kilns cannot be established within one kilometre of residential areas, hills, forests, or wetlands and are illegal on agricultural land. But most kilns in the country disregard these regulations, operating on agricultural land, using topsoil, and relying on deforested wood for fuel, often with the support of local politicians and influential groups.