Smoke from a brick kiln chimney in the Dhopadanga area of Sundarganj upazila, Gaibandha, has ruined paddy on about 200 bighas of land. For the same reason, small mangoes are dropping from trees near the kiln.

Local residents say smoke from the same kiln, RBC Bricks, damaged paddy and trees in Dhopadanga last year too. The kiln was supposed to pay compensation but has not done so to this day. On Tuesday (21 April), gas released from the same kiln again damaged paddy on about 200 bighas along with trees.

A visit on Wednesday afternoon found farmland on two sides of the kiln and homes to the east and west. On about 200 bighas north of the kiln, the leaves of the paddy plants are turning reddish and dying, and new panicles are turning white.

Sundarganj upazila agriculture officer Rashidul Islam said a sub-assistant agriculture officer had been sent to inspect the site, and a list of affected farmers and their land had already been made.

He said such crop damage from kiln smoke happens when a sudden wind blows in intense heat, with land close to the kiln suffering most. He has spoken to the kiln owner about compensating the farmers.

Residents say the paddy fields beside the kiln would have started ripening within a few days. Early on Monday, residents suddenly felt heat, and many who came out of their homes noticed a strong foul smell along with it. They realised that smoke released from the RBC kiln was to blame. On Tuesday morning they found the leaves of the paddy plants had turned reddish, and the plants are slowly dying.

Tofazzal Hossain, a farmer in Bajra Haldia village of Dhopadanga union, said the kiln's smoke had burnt his one bigha of paddy. Paddy on 66 decimals belonging to his neighbour Shamser Ali, 26 decimals of Sabu Mia's and 19 decimals of Shafiqul's had also been ruined.

Josna Bewa of Chhagol Kati Beel in Dhopadanga said in tears: "I am a widow, with two children, one of them disabled. I depend on the paddy from my land for everything all year. The kiln's smoke came and all my paddy is ruined. Now what will I eat to survive?"

Another woman, Sharifa Begum, said: "My husband farms. Because of this kiln's smoke, our paddy on two bighas has been ruined. The kiln has as good as ploughed over our ripening crop."

When journalists went to get a comment from RBC kiln owner Altaf Hossain, he slipped away on noticing them. His mobile phone was found switched off when called several times later.

Uttam Kumar, assistant director of the Department of Environment in Gaibandha, said a complaint had been received. He assured that he would visit the area with the agriculture officer and take legal action against the kiln owner.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.