Kulgam, July 6: The regulatory status of brick kilns in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district has come under serious scrutiny after official data published by the Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee (PCC) revealed that most units are operating in violation of environmental regulations, either without mandatory consent, with expired Consent to Operate (CTO), or despite being refused permission.
The official status list accessed by the news agency Kashmir News Trust paints a grim picture of regulatory compliance in the district, indicating that only one brick kiln appears to have a valid operational status, while nearly all others are running despite serious deficiencies under environmental laws.
The PCC list identifies around 25 brick kilns in Kulgam. Of these, multiple units have been categorised as operating “Without Consent”, several have their Consent to Operate (CTO) expired, while others have been marked “Refused”, indicating rejection of their applications by the competent authority.
According to the document, brick kilns operating without consent include Max Brick Kiln at Baihama, DBZ Brick Kiln at Bun Devsar, Towheed Brick Kiln (GST) at Agroo, Taj Brick Kiln at Mandhol Devsar and Mohammad Amin Rather Brick Kiln at Banghal Devsar.
A large number of brick kilns, including Insaf Brick Kiln, BPL Brick Kiln, F16 Brick Kiln, Chinar Brick Kiln, Sooraj Brick Kiln, Towheed Brick Factory TBF, Khrewan Brick Kiln, Mohd Yousuf Bhat Brick Kiln 515, Dar Brick Kiln and Shahoora Brick Kiln, have been listed under the category of Expired CTO, indicating that they no longer possess valid operational permission from the Pollution Control Committee.
Several others, including Masood 515 Brick Kiln, D.M. Brick Kiln (Veshow), New Zum Zum Brick Kiln, K2 Brick Kiln, CM Brick Kiln, FM Brick Kiln, Chand Brick Kiln 70-B and T.R. Brick Kiln, have been marked “Refused”, suggesting that permission to operate has not been granted by the regulatory authority.
The list also shows that while most of the units continue to operate as conventional Bull-Trench Brick Kilns, a handful have adopted Zig-Zag technology, which is considered comparatively less polluting. However, even among the Zig-Zag units, several have been categorised as operating without consent or with expired permissions.
Environmental experts said the findings raise serious questions about regulatory enforcement in the district. They pointed out that operating a brick kiln without obtaining mandatory environmental consent or after the expiry of the Consent to Operate constitutes a violation of pollution control laws and may attract closure, prosecution and environmental compensation under the applicable statutes.
The revelations have also sparked concern among residents, who questioned how such a large number of brick kilns continue to function despite adverse regulatory status reflected in official records.
Locals demanded immediate inspections by the Pollution Control Committee and the district administration to verify the operational status of the units, enforce environmental laws uniformly and initiate action wherever violations are established.
They also called for greater transparency regarding the action taken against units operating without valid consent and sought publication of compliance reports to ensure accountability and protect public health from industrial pollution. [KNT]
