Why Bricks Play an Imperative Role in Indian Constructional Practices?
Brick is not just the primary material of construction in India. It is the base of development that entails strength and longevity. In India, the beginning of all residential and commercial facilities marks a high demand for quality bricks. At present, India is known as the second-largest manufacturer of bricks in the world.
But our story of construction produce goes back to the Mughal era where brick making was quite common. We have more than 1,50,000 active brick manufacturers across different states. This gigantic count leads to a whopping 300 billion revenue in brick masonry units in the construction industry.
Brick Manufacturing in India – An Overview of States
From weather to natural resources, every condition resonates with the construction market in India. This is the biggest reason why manufacturers leverage the availability of soil and fuel to maximum benefits. However, the production scale can differ in numerous states in the North and South regions of the nation.
Despite advanced technologies, the fundamental process of brick making remains to be pretty much similar almost everywhere. On some levels, manual labour is inevitable in traditional methods. In addition, the drying process can also affect production, given its dependence on weather. All in all, brick making is vividly season-dependent in India.
Haryana, Punjab, UP, Bihar, and West Bengal are some of the most prominent brick-making states in India. Interestingly, manufacturers in these states contribute 65% of the overall brick production in the country. Brick kilns are located in the outskirts of the towns where manufacturers handle a ginormous production of 10-12 million bricks every year.
As explained above, the brick manufacturing process widely depends on the weather in India, mainly for drying. Therefore, it is not possible to create bricks all year long. As per experts, six to eight months of the year are considered suitable for the production that is usually put to a halt during the monsoon season. In addition to this, hilly areas such as Sri Nagar, Jammu, and Dehradun don’t account for any significant production range of bricks.
Impact on Environment
Indian brick industry is much more powerful and influential than it appears from the outside. However, the impact of production technologies on the environment can’t be ignored. Most of these brick kilns are situated as a cluster. Massive production of bricks on a daily basis can effectively leave an impact on the surrounding locations. This form of arrangement can also change the scenario of vegetation and agriculture in that particular area. Besides, brick manufacturing in the global industry has a collective impact on climate change and the environment.
Aside from other factors, coal is also a common resource in the brick and construction domain. This sector in India alone notes an extensive consumption of 24 million tonnes of coal every year along with tonnes of biomass fuels. This number sums up to become a total of 8% of total coal consumption in our country.
Even though brick-making denotes the backbone of the construction sector in our nation, one can’t ignore the amount of air pollution it manifests during the procedure. Moreover, this air pollution is followed by a substantial production of ash residue which is a direct hazard to respiratory health. The waste production and sewerage affect the vegetation and crops in the surrounding area. Apart from this, the entire brick kiln setting occupies a significant range of the area.
Socio-Economic Situation
In general, the labourers in the brick industry work really hard to make a living. In fact, some workers even run out of work when the season is unfavorable. In addition to this, the remuneration isn’t very justified. In fact, the basic labourer laws can’t protect the workers in this domain from running out of regular work. The collective periphery of labour in the brick industry is far more struggling than what it appears to the common people.
Given the changing preferences of the new generation, it would be really hard to find suitable labour for the brick units in upcoming years. Despite booming market demands, construction enterprises may come across a potential challenge in this realm.
How BrickWale Eradicates Challenges of Construction
BrickWale is created with a mission to resolve every existing setback of the industry that affects brick suppliers, transporters, and direct customers. We streamline the purchase of bricks online to fasten construction and boost business opportunities for brick suppliers and transporters.