MITHI, THARPARKAR: Thick smoke from wood-burning charcoal and brick kilns operating in and around Kloi has severely deteriorated air quality, making breathing increasingly difficult for local residents and triggering intervention by environmental authorities.
Residents complained that a large number of charcoal-producing units and brick kilns are burning wood on a massive scale, releasing dense smoke that has led to growing health problems and daily discomfort, particularly for people living close to the sites.
Following repeated public complaints, the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), Regional Office Mirpurkhas, has initiated a comprehensive environmental monitoring exercise under the Sindh Environmental Protection Act, 2014. The activity is being carried out by SEPA’s technical teams as part of the agency’s regulatory and enforcement mandate.
SEPA officials said the monitoring aims to assess the environmental impact of charcoal kilns, with a focus on air quality, toxic emissions, fuel standards and compliance with existing environmental laws. They added that the exercise is a pre-enforcement step to document on-ground conditions before any legal or administrative action is taken.
During inspections, SEPA teams observed that smoke emissions from several charcoal kilns pose serious risks to public health, the surrounding environment and overall air quality, particularly in nearby residential areas. Samples and relevant data have been collected for detailed analysis.
SEPA has warned that strict action will be taken against units found in violation of environmental regulations. Possible enforcement measures include closure of non-compliant kilns through Environmental Protection Orders (EPOs), imposition of fines and initiation of further legal proceedings.
