NOT SO GREEN: Environmental Management Practices in Fly Ash Brick Manufacturing Units

October 03, 2018

The fly ash brick manufacturing sector in India has been classified as a ‘white industry’ by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) as it is a non-polluting and waste-utilizing sector. Since the industry falls in white category, the government has been very lenient towards it, thus not addressing the issue of environmental concerns arising from improper storage and handling of raw materials by this sector.

Fly ash ismostly transported in hyva dumpers that are often just partially covered withtarpaulin. This partial covering fails to prevent the fly ash from being dispersedby the wind, causing air pollution. More importantly, fly ash, once transportedto the site, is mostly stored in open, which not only causes fugitive emissionsbut can also pose health hazards to the workers and visibility issues near thesites.