West Bengal: Clay Fired Brick Making Clusters

Introduction

The state of West Bengal is among the leading brick producing states in India. A majority of brick kiln units use manual process for green brick moulding; however, a few units are also using extruders for the same. The main brick firing technology used in the state is Bull’s trench kiln (BTK) with both natural as well as high draft process. The major product of brick kiln is solid bricks. The usual brick making season is December to June.

Products manufactured

Solid bricks

Number of Brick Kilns

4300

Main fuels

Coal

Annual Production

15 billion

Total energy consumption (toe)

1.73 million toe (annual)

Leading industry association(s)

• Bengal Brick Field Owners Association
• All India Brick and Tiles Manufacturers Federation (AIBTMF), New Delhi

Source: TERI's interventions in brick sector under projects supported by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Department for International Development (DFID); Discussions with Punjab State Council for Science and Technology, Chandigarh.