UP-NCR brick kiln owners can deposit annual fees till May 31

Lucknow: Owners of brick kilns in UP-NCR have been granted a time extension for depositing regulating fees. Officials said that the National Green Tribunal had curbed the activities that added to air pollution levels in the national capital and neighbouring districts. Subsequently, brick kiln operators did not deposit the annual regulating fees.Among the notified

NCR

districts of UP that include Gautambuddhnagar (Noida), Ghaziabad, Meerut, Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar, Hapur, Bulandshahr and Shamli, the problem of pollution emanating brick kilns has come down significantly. However, in other districts directly connected to the national capital, which include Hathras,

Aligarh

, Mathura and

Agra

, many brick kilns are operating without abiding by the norms. Following the NGT’s directives, the pollution control board conducted an exhaustive survey to find out whether the kilns have upgraded their infrastructure. Secretary of geology and mining department,

Roshan Jacob

extended the deadline to submit the regulation fees to May 31. Moreover, the state government will not levy interest over the delayed payment. Ramvir Singh from Gautambuddhnagar, who is president of the brick kiln owners’ association in Jewar tehsil, said, “Hundreds of brick kiln owners will benefit with this. The market rates of our product have come down substantially. At present 1,000 bricks are being sold for less than Rs 5,000. Majority of the owners operating the kilns within 100-km distance of Delhi in UP have already complied with the guidelines.”As per estimates provided by the association, at least 55 brick kiln owners in the eight districts notified in Uttar Pradesh-NCR and an equal number of operators in Mathura, Aligarh, Hathras and Agra will benefit.