Naveed Ul Haq
Budgam, Aug 25: With brick prices soaring in the valley, many people in central Kashmir’s Budgam district have started building houses using traditional bricks known as Koand Seer. Some of them even want to start making these bricks to earn livelihood and ease other people’s “burdens”.
Many people in Budgam who made houses using Koan Seer said that the centuries-old brick-making process is a promising solution in the wake of “exorbitant” brick rates.
These people living in the upper villages of the Budgam said they have taken it upon themselves to maintain the traditional practice of brick-making. But for that to happen, the government needs to provide the necessary firewood resources, which are necessary for the revival of these kilns on a larger scale, they said.
“The huge increase in brick prices has impacted the construction projects, housing and infrastructure development,” said Ghulam Hassan, a resident of Neegu, Budgam.
He said the local residents are struggling to afford the materials required for building their houses. “The revival of traditional brick kilns provides a chance for skill survival and local entrepreneurship in addition to providing a cost-effective alternative to the inflated brick costs,” he said.
In these uncertain economic times, the trade of brick-making, which has been passed down through the years, may prove to be quite useful, Hassan added.
Another local, Bilal Ahmad, however, said the availability of firewood, an essential component in the brick-making process for curing bricks in fire, is critical to the success of this grassroots task.
He appealed to the government to provide them with the required supplies of firewood. This support would enable local communities to take control of their own economic well-being in addition to assisting in the revival of traditional brick kilns, he said. Bilal said these bricks are not only inexpensive but also durable as bricks cured in kilns. “If this culture could receive more attention, a large quantity of pollution could be eliminated, and these bricks could cost only half as much as bricks baked in kilns,” he said.
The government can help revive the traditional practice since it has the potential to reduce the financial burdens of the people of the village and give them more control over their own economic future.
