Trans. Inst. Indian Geographers Status and Impact of Brick Fields on the River Haora, West Shreya Bandyopadhyay, Kapil Ghosh, Sushmita Saha, Sumanto Chakravorti and Sunil Kumar De. , Tiripur

Abstract The Sadar Subdivision as well as the Basin is the most economically developed region of West Tripura. Various small scale industries (84 numbers) have grown up in the basin among which brick industry has highest share. Most of the brickields are of recent origin. The SOI Topographical sheet of 1932 (1:63360) and US Army Sheet of 1956 (1:250,000) do not show the existence of any brickield. From Google Map of 2005, several ield visits (since January 2010) and secondary literatures it is found that 62 brick ields are located within the Sadar division of these 57 are located in Haora Basin between Chandrasadhubari at to towards Agartala. Although brick ields constitute a major part of the industrial activity in Haora Basin area, it adversely affects the portion of river channel as well as its tributaries. Most of the brick ields in the study area were constructed after 1990. Since then the river has been affected by increasing pollution and sedimentation. Dumping of ashes, extraction of sand from the river bed and bank, cutting of tilla lands (approx 15-20 trucks /year/ ield) hinder the natural low of the river. Therefore, the present study has been undertaken to assess the impact of these brick ields in terms of pollution, sedimentation and changing course of the river Haora as well as its tributaries. Key words: Tilla cutting, waste pollutants, sedimentation, changes in river course. ydroHhhh

Introduction Town and other urban areas, there are 84 Haora River is one of the major rivers of types of industries within Sadar Subdivision, West Tripura and is considered as the life line among which brick ield is considered as of Agartala. Originating from the Baramura the major one (TSPCB, 2004). Ubiquitous range, the river lows westward through raw materials, access to NH44, proximity to Sadar Subdivision of West Tripura and Haora River and Agartala Market are major inally meets with river Titas in Bangladesh. factors responsible for the growth of 62 brick Sadar is the most economically developed ields within the Sadar subdivision, 57 out of subdivision of West Tripura. Several small 62, almost 91% of these are located within scale industries and manufacturing units the Haora basin. based on available natural and cultural Although brick fields constitute the resources of this region have grown up in major part of economic activity of the Haora the district. Out of 1921 industrial units Basin, it has some adverse effects on the of West Tripura 1239 industries (TSPCB, trunk river and its tributaries. Indiscriminate 2004) are located within this subdivision. cutting of tilla land and lifting of sand Excepting the residential areas in Agartala from the river bed lead to several hydro- morphological changes in the river channel. been generated on 50 brick ields, located It is also found that the river is gradually near the river course, through intensive ield becoming sick due to the emission of investigation. Several cross sections have pollutants from the brick ields as well as been taken along the river adjacent to the the dumping of garbage along the river brick ields in different time periods in order bank. An attempt has been made to study to ind out the spatio-temporal changes that the present status of the brick ields within may have occurred within the river basin. the river basin and also to assess the impact Water samples from different points have of these brick ields on Haora River as well also been collected in order to check the as on its tributaries. quality variation of the river water and tested in the laboratory of Tripura State Pollution Materials and Methods Control Board. Location of brick fields has initially been identified from the Google image Location of the brick ields and thereafter verified with the help of There are 57 brick ields within the Haora GPS during ield survey. Survey of River Basin. 50 of these are located along Toposheets (1932) of 1:63360 scale, Google both sides of the River Haora, River image and SRTM DEM have been used to Donaigang and NH44 (Fig.-1) between determine the location of tilla lands and Chandrasadhubari in Champaknagar and lood plains from where the brick ields Jirania. Of these 50 brick ields, only 4 are collect their raw material. Data base has located along the left bank and the remaining

Fig.1 : Location map of the study area

276 | Transactions | Vol. 35, No. 2, 2013 46 brick ields are located along the right Areal extent of the brick ields bank of the river. Seven ields, (out of 57) Area of the brick ields within this basin located far from the main river, have not varies from 0.0025 to 0.12 sq. km. Out of been considered in the present study as they 34 brick ields 23 brick ields are small in do not have any direct impact on the river. size and their area ranges between 0.033 and The latitudinal and longitudinal extension 0.06 sq. km. 12 brick ields are considered of this zone is between 23˚4810 N and as medium sized as their area ranges 23˚5037.50 N; and 91˚2615 E and to between0.063 and 0.09 sq. km. There is only 91˚3012 E. one brick ield having an area of 0.12 sq. km. From the fault map it is clearly found that and is considered as large brick industry of a number of lineaments extend in a NE-SW this basin area. direction throughout the Haora Basin. Some of the tributaries of the river, surrounded Labour employed in brick ields by tillalands, are flowing through such As production of brick is a labour intensive lineaments. These tilla lands are mainly sector, a large number of eficient work composed of unconsolidated sediments force is needed for this industry. All of the and are the main source of raw material of brick industries in the study area employ the brick ields. Donaigang, a tributary to both local and migrated labourers (Yeasmin the river Haora, is such a fault guided river Farhana, 2012). In the brick ields of the surrounded by tilla lands. Unconsolidated study area number of labourers ranges from sediments of tillas is Probably the main 50 to 410. On an average 101-200 labourers cause behind the concentration of brick are employed in majority of the brick ields. ields along the river. These are considered as medium scale industry in terms of labour force. Result and Discussion On the whole, the number of migrated labourers is quite high in the brick ields Status of Brick Fields in the study area of this basin area (Khandoker R.U., 2007). The first brick field in the study area, Most of the brick ields absorb more migrant namely Jyoti Brick Industry was established labour than the local. The migrated labour at Nowabadi, Jirania in 1978. On the comes from Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and other side Bihar Brick Field located near Uttar Pradesh. Among which Bihar shares Champaknagar West Khamarbari, is the the highest proportion and Uttar Pradesh latest one and was established in 2009. shares the lowest. Among the 50 brick ields, Before 1991 there were only 8 brick ields 22 can be classiied as large (>100 ), 26 as within the whole basin. 20 new brick ields medium (in between 40 to 100) and only were constructed between 1991 and 2000 two as low (<40 l) brick ields in terms of and the total number has reached to 50 by migrated labour the year 2010. The status of these brick As these labourers live in temporary fields can be understood with the help houses and construct ‘Kachha (Hanging of the area they occupy, the labour they toilets)’ toilets along the river for their daily employ, the raw material they use and their use, the number of migrated labourers in the production levels.

Transactions | Vol. 35, No. 2, 2013 | 277 area is of a major concern. Huge amount of National Highway 44. Due to cutting of excreta is supplied directly into the river such tilla lands, roads are being damaged. regularly that pollutes the river to a greater It is also found that top soils of agricultural extent. land are extensively used in production of bricks. Due to over exploitation of top soils, Production status the agricultural lands are becoming infertile. 3 According to the production most of the About 342653.5 m of mud per year brickields within the Haora River Basin are is used by these 50 brick fields for the considered as medium scale industry. The production of bricks. The average amount average production of these 50 brickields of mud that is used by these brick ields is 3 is 27.88 lakhs bricks/year. In the year 2010 about 6853.07 m (Fig-3). There are 24 brick the two brick ields recorded the lowest ields that used mud below average level. production (about 10 lakhs) whereas ive On the other hand 26 brick ields have used 3 recorded production of about 50 Lakhs. mud more than 6853.07 m yearly. There are 40 brick ields that produced more than 20 lakhs/year and there are only 10 brick ields whose production is less than 20 lakhs (Fig.-2).

Fig.3 : Raw materials used by different brick ields

Impact of Brick Fields on the river

Fig.2 : Production (number in lakhs) of bricks in different Cutting of tilla and agricultural land brickields All the tilla land in Haora River Basin possess Dupitila group of rock in their upper Raw material status part. The composition of Dupitila group is The raw materials, mainly used for brick sandy clay, clayey sandstone; ferruginous production, are local mud, sand and sandstone with pockets of plastic clay, fuel material (Technical note on Brick silica, and laterite (Menon, 1975). Most of Construction, 2006). All of the brickields these rocks of Dupitila group are so soft and within the Haora River Basin use coal as fragile that they are very easy to extract. fuel for burning bricks which is imported Thus, most of the brick ields within this mostly from Meghalaya. They collect sand river basin collect mud from the surrounding from the river bed and mud from the tilla tilla lands (Fig.-4) unscientifically that lands along the roads, especially along the create several problems to the study area.

278 | Transactions | Vol. 35, No. 2, 2013 The birck fields (pink spots) and lands clearly belong to the tilla areas. Thus, it degraded tilla lands (yellow spots) have is clear that the brick ields collect their raw been demarcated by GPS during intensive materials from the surrounding tilla lands. ield survey. Both of these two maps have From the satelite image, a total of 1.45 sq. then been superimposed on the 3D terrain km of tilla lands can be demarcated those are model of the area. From the igure it is clearly affected by these brick ields. noticed that the brick ields are located either In most of the cases it is found that tilla in low lyning areas between the tillas or at the lands are degrading (Eswaran, H., 1993, foot of the tillas (Fig.-4), whereas, degraded 1999) at an alarming rate. During the ield

Fig.4 : Location of brick ields and cut off lands in 3D model

Fig.5 : Evidences of step by step sequential degradation of tilla lands

Transactions | Vol. 35, No. 2, 2013 | 279 survey it was found that one such tillaland Thus in order to get the acess of those having an initial height of about 20m in bridges all the tracks, carrying raw materials 2010 was completely cut down to collect as well as the inished produst of the brick the raw material. ields, have to travel a greater distances. The 1st tier, having an area of about That increases the cost of their production. 5521.8 sq.m,was at the same level as that That is why in most cases those brick ields of the NH44 and the next tier, having an have constructed some temporary roads and area of 3594.1 sq.m,was excavated further sometimes they use the river bed itself as a downward upto a depth of 8.06 m. This road for their transportation. amounts to a total of 33682.98 cubic m volume of material from the 1st tier and Collection of sand 28968.446 cubic m from the 2nd tier that Collection of sand (used as a raw material has already been removed. Furthermore, for brick production) from the river bed as it is found that the 1st tier tillaland which well as from the river bank causes different was having a height of about 6.1m above types of hydrological changes within the the NH44 level in 2010 has been reduce to river system. Collection of sediment from a height of 1.6 m in 2012 (Fig.-5). the river bed is commonly treated as a good It may be noted that they are collecting practice that reduces the sedimentation raw material (soil) not only from the tilla problem of a river. But in the present case it lands but also from the agricutural land creates further problem to the river becuase (Khan H. R, et. al, 2007; Rahman and the sediments are collected unscientiically Khan, 2001). Most of these brick fields between Champaknagar and Khayerpur are sorrounded by agricultural land upto a areas that makes the river bed becomes greater distance (Fig.-9). Soil texture within irregular and fargile and generates further the basin varies from loamy to clayey with sediment to the lower stretch of the river. slight acidity and high compactness for Sometimes they use pump machine for which they are commonly used as the raw lifting sand from the river bed. material in the brick ields. Although it is In order to ind out the of effect sand very diiicult to demarcate areas and extents collection within the river channel, 3 cross of the affected agricultural lands in Google section have been taken from two different or Sattelite images but these are very clearly places of sand collection from the river seen from ield photographs. bed in the years 2010-2012. The 1st cross section has taken near Mohonpur Bazar. Obstruction of river course In the year 2010 the width of the river was about27.75m and depth was 0.51m. but the In most cases the brick fields, located width has come down to 24.6mand the depth along the left bank of the river are not well had increased to 0.65m in 2011. connected with the NH44. As this NH44 is situated at the right bank of the river they The condition has further been have to cross the river for reaching on it. But deteriorated in 2012, when the river has in between Champaknagar to Jirania there become more narrower (21.05m) and the are only two bridges for heavy vehicles. depth (1.4m) has increased considerably

280 | Transactions | Vol. 35, No. 2, 2013 (Fig.-6). Continous scouring of river bed Changes in river course due to sand collection not only affecting the During ield surveys between 2010- bed itself but also along the right bank the 2012 a typical feature was found in the river experiencs erosion, too. Moreover, from Haora River course near Debendranagar this 3 years trend it is found that the main area. As this part of the Haora River Basin course of the river is shifting towards its belongs to upper portion of its middle right. Same type of scenario is also found in course, the depositional material of this area the 2nd cross section which is taken at 100 m is mainly of sandy-silty composition. In upstream from the Khayerpur Bridge where the year 2010 there was a point bar of silty width of the river bed is reducing with the composition along the left bank. But from corresponding in depth. At this place the right the year of 2011 it was found that earlier bank is experiencing erosion and sever bank bar was getting eroded but in its frontal part failure during monsoon season (Fig.-6). a new bar of purely clay deposit has been formed. This formation was causing the reduction of the channel width. In the year 2012 it is found that a newer bar has further developed (Fig.-7). At present the channel is becoming so much narrower that it fails to carry its discharge. As a result now it has shifted to a newer location through the left side of the earlier sandy point bar. This kind of scenario is also found in several places upto 1-1.5km downstream from that partculat place. Fig.6 : Seuqential changes within the river bed

Fig.7 : Evidence of river course change near Debendranagar (2010, 2011 & 2012)

Transactions | Vol. 35, No. 2, 2013 | 281 In order to ind out the cause behind (Fig.-16A). From the superimposed map such deposition a survey has been carried it is found that there is no general trend of out in the upstream site along the river upto changes of course as a whole excepting such a distance of 500m and is found that a brick three places (Fig.-16A) among which one ield namely R.B.I, situated along the right place is located near the brick ield areas bank of the river is dumping all its waste (Fig.-16B). product along the river bank. In order to ind Fig.-16 (A) Superimposed map showing out the impact of such deposits 3 sediment the places of sequential changes noticed in samples have been collected from upstream Haora River course, (B) changes of Haora side of the brick ield, near the brick ield and River course near brick ield areas also from the downstream part of the brick ield (from the caly bar in Debendranagar) Impact of Brick ields on the pollution The 1st sample, has been collected from status of the river 500 m upstream side from the R.B.I brick Brick ields also have a major impact on the ield, It is composed of structureless clay. quality of the river water. As there is higher This type of sediment is usually found in concentration of brick fields within the suspended form in water, transported upto particular stretch between Chandrasadhubari a long distance and inally deposited in the and Jirania and most of them dumptheir lower course of the river where the velocity waste material along the river bank (Fig-17), becomes very less. The 2nd sample has been there is higher risk of pollution of the river collected near the brick ield area. In the water than other stretches. ield it was found in lump form but when it was crushed in the laboratory, some tiny Fig.-17 Evidences of pollutant waste particles of bricks were detected. Finally in coming out from the brick ields the 3rd sample, collected from the bar near In order to study the pollution status Debendranagar, tiny particles of brick were of the river within the brick ield areas two found in metamorphosed form. water samples have been collected. The 1st From the structural characteristics of the sample was collected from the area before samples it can be stated that although the the concentration of the brick ield near textural composition of the aforesaid sample Chandrasadhubari in Champaknagar, where are same, intrusion of tiny brick particles the river water is more or less pollution free. within this clay is making the structure The 2nd sample has been collected from different. These brick particles are acting as the Mohonpur bazar, immediately after the lumping nuclei and leading deposition of brick ields. These samples were tested in these clay in the form of bars which cannot the Tripura State Pollution Control Board be eroded by the river. Apart from this micro laboratory. From the test report it is clear that scale impacts, the entire course of the Haora within these two sampling areas (a distance river is also affected by the brick ields in of 10 km) there are massive changes in different ways. water quality, particularly in total Suspended In order to study temporal change of the Solid (TSS), Turbidity, Chloride, Alkalinity, Haora River course two maps of the year Hardness, Dissolve Oxygen (DO) and Total 1932 and 2005 have been superimposed Coliform (Table-1).

282 | Transactions | Vol. 35, No. 2, 2013 Table 1 : Pollution status of the collected samples ashes). Naturally higher concentration of PARAMETERS * S1 S2 Total Coliform leads reduction in dissolve oxygen level. Temperature(°c) 28.5 30.5 Total Suspended Solid(mg\l) 26 53 Concluding Remarks Total Dissolved Solid(mg\l) 144 152 pH 7.65 7.73 Brick ields are considered as the indicator of increased urbanisation as well as of a Turbidity(NTU) 5 14 growing economy. However, unscientiic Chloride 7.2 9.6 manufacturing leads to severe environmental Alkalinity(mg\l) 69.34 95.34 problems and the present study area is no Hardnass (mg\I) 59.55 79.4 exception to this general rule. From the Calcium (mg\ I) 15.91 19.88 aforesaid analysis it is found that the main Magnesium (mg\ I) 4.8 7.23 low of the river is gradually narrowing along with sedimentation in the lower DO(mg\I) 7.2 5.6 stretches down to Jirania. Water quality is BOD(mg\I) 1.9 2.1 also deteriorating leading to several health COD(mg\I) 8 10 hazards. The following hazardous problems Total Coliform MPN\100 ml 110 180 can be sorted more speciically: S1 : Chandrasadhubari in i. The unscientiic way of mud collection Champaknagar, is creating some big depression or Haora River, West Tripura hollows along the tilla side slopes and S2 : Mohanpur, Haora within agricultural land. This kind River, West Tripura of depression receives water during *Water samples were tested inTripura State monsoon period forming temporary Pollution Control Board laboratory lakes and reducingthe amount of discharge to the main stream. In addition Turbidity is the haziness in water caused to this, unscientific cutting of such by the individual particles of artificial slopescasuing severe soil erosion, slope sediments coming from the urbanisation, failure and supply sediment to the river. industries and mining areas. Hardness of The river is becming imcompetent to water caused due to heavy concentration of carry such excess sediment load and metals. Both TSS and turbidity are high in gradually becoming sick. sample 2 due to the presence of tiny particles of bricks, coal as well as fragment of ashes ii. Use of the river bed as a road for coming from those brick fields. Higher movement of heavy vehicles over it concentration of Chloride and alkalinity in is affecting the river bed to a greater river water of this place is mainly due to extent. Frequent movement of trucks the brickields efluents and also coming making the river bed abnormally hard from the truck wheels, containing road de- and also obstracting the natural low of icing salts. Total Coliform in the sample 2 river and the river is becoming unstable. is also higher in proportion as those brick iii. Unscientific quarrying of sand from ield release several acidic pollutants (e.g. the river bed and from the bank is

Transactions | Vol. 35, No. 2, 2013 | 283 increasing the roughness of the river problems. Except using in brick ields, bed. Moreover, combining effect of fragmented brick can also be used in sand collectoin and deposition of waste road construction or any other activity. bricks, ashes within the river leads to Ultimately waste products should be changes in the course of the channel by dumped in a particular place away from forming pools, ripples and bars. the river channels by creating disposal iv. Pollutants emmitted from the brick tanks. ields causes high risk of gastrointestinal 3. Sand quarrying should be done in the diseases to the people who are using scientiic way by using the dredging the water for drinking purpose. This is techniques. especially problematic for poor people, 4. Government should take some necessary because contaminants like viruses or measures for preventing and controlling bacteria can become attached to the all these unscientiic and illegal activities suspended solid. The suspended solids in order to protect the environment. help to disinfect water with chlorine because the particles act as shields for the virus and bacteria. Acknowledgement In conlusion it can be stated that The authors are thankful to the Tripura brick manufacturing has become a basic State Pollution Control Board, specially the requirment of the modern civilised society Chairman Prof. Mihir Deb for extending and it is not possible to stop such activity. inancial assistance and laboratory facilities. However, several measures can be taken for We deeply acknowledge the suggestions such activity to save the environment. Those given by Dr. Srikumar Chattopadhyay, can be considered as eco-friendly as well as CESS, Kerala; Prof. Arabindo Ghosh, cheaper in nature such as: Department of Geological Sciences, Jadavpur University. 1. The problem of cutting tilla and agricultural lands can be solved by the successful introduction of a selective References blend of solid by-product wastes into Annon., 1999. CBRI develops eco-friendly the feedstock replacing quarried raw technology for brick making. The Hindu, materials. The lesser the use of primary Sunday, pp. 26-32. raw materials the lesser will be the environmental footprint of a production Greentech Knowledge Solutions, 2012.Brick process (Mödinger, Fritz, 2002A; Kilns Performance Assessment &A Roadmap for Cleaner Brick Production Mödinger, Fritz 2002B: Mödinger, Fritz, 2003). in India;A report prepared by Greentech Knowledge Solutions, New Delhi. 2. Recycling of the waste products (Annon,1999; Greentech Knowledge Eswaran, H., 1999. Recommendation in Solutions, 2012) and purposeful use of the proceedings ofthe 2nd international conferenceon land degradation. KhonKaen, it, such as, brick particles in the ire kiln, can reduce the waste products disposal Thailand. 9, pp 127-129.

284 | Transactions | Vol. 35, No. 2, 2013 Eswaran, H., Virmani, S.M., Spivey, L. D., Rahman, M.K., Khan, H.R., 2001. Impacts 1993. Sustainableagriculture in developing of brick kiln on topsoil degradation countries: constraints, challenges and andenvironmental pollution. Project report choices. In Technologies for Sustainable submitted to the Ministry of Science Agriculture inthe Tropics, (Eds.) J. Ragland and Information and Communication and R. Lal. ASA Sp. Publ. 56,Madisin, WI, Technology, Bangladesh Secretariat pp. 7-24. (Dhaka), pp. 210. K.D. Memnon, 1975. Tripura District Gazetteers. Technical Notes on Brick Construction, 2006. Department of Education. Govt. of Tripura. The Brick Industry Association. pp.8-17. Tripura State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB), Khan H. R., Rahman K, AbdurRouf A. J. 2004. A Survey of Brick Fields in Tripura, M., Sattar G. S., Oki Y., Adahi T., 2007. pp. 25-98. Assessment of degradation of agricultural YeasminFarhana and Khan A.A, 2012. soils arising from brick burningin selected Livelihood Pattern of Brickield Workers soil proiles. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Tech., 4 in Bangladesh. Asian Journal of Research (4),pp. 471-480. In Business Economics and Management. Khandoker R.U., 2007. Parameters of the vol 2 (3), pp. 142-153. status of the workers in the Brickfield industry.Available at http:// www.rasheeka. Shreya Bandyopadhyay, wordpress.com/. Kapil Ghosh, Mödinger, Fritz, 2002A. The use of fruit marl Sushmita Saha ash in Low Density Ceramic Matrix Research Scholars Composite Hollow Bricks – FACMC bricks. Sunil Kumar De* PROGRES Sevilla, Spain, pp. 46-55. Reader 1 Mödinger, Fritz 2002B. Recycling and Reuse Department of Geography and Disaster Management, of Waste Materials as Raw materials within the Framework of Integrated Product Policy Sumanto Chakravorti IPP, Thomas Telford Book, pp. 117. Deputy Registrar, NIT, Agartala (*Corresponding Author: [email protected]) Mödinger, Fritz, 2003. 49th Brick Forum, Tripura University, Agartala,Tripura American Brick Institute Clemson, Clemson S.C. USA. Sustainable brick production, pp.128-133.

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