Agartala, Feb 16 (PTI) Brick makers in Tripura on Monday said their units have been facing an acute shortage of coal, and will have no alternative but to close the kilns unless the fuel supply is improved.
The Tripura Brick Fields Manufacturing Association (TBFMA) president Bivekananda Chowdhury said the crisis was due to the coal supply disruption in Meghalaya for the past two weeks.
He said a meeting of kiln owners was held on Monday to assess the situation.
Tripura has 280 operational brick kilns.
“We are heading for a serious crisis as coal, the main fuel for our industry, has not been available for the last two weeks. Earlier, we used to procure coal from Meghalaya and other sources, but that supply has stopped. Neither coal-laden trucks are entering the state nor are we receiving any consignment through the railways,” Chowdhury said.
The fuel supply from Meghalaya has been disrupted due to a blast in an illegal coal mine in the Thangsku area in the East Jaintia Hills district on February 5.
“All brick manufacturers have collectively decided that if coal is not arranged immediately, operations will have to be suspended. Without sufficient coal, there is no alternative left for us but to close our units,” Chowdhury said.
Seeking the government’s intervention, he urged authorities to arrange coal transportation through railways or any other suitable mode to address the shortage.
Chowdhury said the industry is also facing a shortage of skilled workers this season.
“Workers, who prepare the mixture to mould bricks, have not reported on time due to various reasons, including elections in Bihar, which have further disrupted our production,” he said. PTI PS BDC
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