To check air pollution, Punjab Government has initiated efforts under ‘Tandrust Punjab Mission’ whereby most of the brick kilns, out of 2,200 active in the State, have been shifted to approved design of High Draught Zig Zag Technology, which uses lesser coal as compared to traditional brick kilns firing system.

Informing, Tandrust Punjab Mission director KS Pannu said that the technological advancement in combustion systems have now made it possible to convert even the coal-based brick kilns into CNG-based brick kilns without much change in the kiln’s design.

 “So, under Tandrust Punjab Mission, we intend to explore the possibilities of shifting brick kilns from coal to CNG,” he added.

Pannu said that in the state of Punjab, brick kilns use about 16 lakh tonnes of coal to produce about 1100 crore bricks. “Although, the improved Zig Zag technology in the brick kilns requires lesser coal, still lot of coal is used for firing the brick kilns, which is a source of pollution,” he added.

It is in this context that Punjab State Council of Science and Technology have been requested to come up with a technology which would replace coal in the brick kilns with compressed natural gas, he said adding that the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) can also provide necessary assistance in the process.

Pannu said that CNG is now amply available in Punjab and a large number of coal-based industrial units are shifting to gas-based units.

“The shift of brick kilns to CNG will not only help in reducing the cost of production of bricks, but it will also help to substantially reduce the air pollution load caused by coal fired kilns,” he said.