Executive Summary

The traditional Nepalese Brick industry has Bull’s Trench kilns (BTKs) with moving and fixed chimney and clamps. Specifically in the context of Kathmandu Valley, due to the extreme rural to urban migration, the demand for bricks for the purpose of buildings has seen significant growth, and thus the concentration of brick kilns within the valley have gone up over the last decade. The majority of these kilns (about 92%) are moving chimney BTKs, and the remaining are Hoffman Kilns (about 5%) and traditional clamp kilns or "Thado Bhatta" (about 3%)1. Due to the topographical nature of the valley, earlier & recent ambient air monitoring studies have shown that the brick sector has become the number one polluter with regards to SO2 emissions and the second highest polluter with regards to SPM emissions (2nd only to automobile vehicle exhaust)2.

In reaction to these alarming aspects of environmental degradation and public outcry, technical operational parameters for the operations of brick kilns in Kathmandu Valley were introduced by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Supplies (MOICS) through its department namely Department of Cottage & Small Industries (DoCSI) by means of a directive issued December 2002. While this cannot be considered a "standard" in its own right, it is a step in that direction. In the Nepalese context, standards can only be issued by the Ministry of Population & Environment (MOPE). However, directives can be issued by departments of HMG/N like in this case. This directive also states a complete ban on operations of Moving Chimney BTKs by September 2003.

In light of these directives and anticipated standards in the future, and in order ensure a process of sustainable development, a number of activities are underway for reducing the higher energy consumption in brick kilns (which can account for as much as 30% to 40% of the total production costs), and minimizing the emissions from the kilns. This is being done via means of introduction of appropriate and commercially viable new / improved brick firing technologies.

One of these is the introduction of "vertical shaft brick kilns (VSBK)" in Nepal of Chinese origin by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) – through their programme in Nepal: "VSBK Programme (Nepal)". Two pilot VSBK kilns have been set up by entrepreneurs in Kathmandu Valley. The investment in the actual construction of the kilns has been borne by these entrepreneurs and the technical backstopping has been provided by VSBK Programme (Nepal) and its developmental partners / technology providers.

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