New Delhi: Coal continues to be widely used in brick kilns across Delhi-NCR despite a ban, according to a survey by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). With brick kilns being one of the contributors to Delhi’s air pollution, the report found widespread non-compliance, weak enforcement, poor transition support and limited adoption of cleaner fuels across the brick-making sector.It also noted the use of carbon black as fuel at several kilns, with stocks typically stored discreetly and supplied mainly at night.The report, Rules Without Reach: How the brick-making industry has fared on CAQM compliances in Delhi-NCR, is based on two rounds of surveys conducted across brick kiln clusters in Delhi-NCR. The first round in 2025 covered 128 brick kilns, while the second round in 2026 surveyed 152 kilns across Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Shamli, Jhajjar, Panipat and Sonipat, and virtual communications with 60 kiln owners.“The brick industry is among the most polluting and least regulated sectors in the country. Commission for Air Quality (CAQM)’s coal ban was a necessary step, but a direction without a transition strategy is unlikely to change behaviour on the ground,” CSE programme officer Subhrajit Goswami said, adding that the sector needs technical guidance, financial support and institutional hand-holding. “None of that was provided and the survey results reflect exactly that gap,” he pointed out.The report found that in 2025, about 77% of the surveyed kilns were found using coal, while in 2026 coal use was observed in about 72% of the surveyed units. Most kilns used coal in combination with biomass rather than as a standalone fuel. Coal deliveries were often arranged on a daily basis and frequently took place during evening or night hours.Explaining why the transition has not happened, the report said kiln owners consistently maintained that coal was essential for producing good quality bricks as biomass didn’t have the same calorific value. Coal offers 4,000 to 6,000kcal/kg, while most crop residues provide only 3,000-4,000kcal/kg.“Most owners said a blend of at least 20-30% coal with 70-80% biomass is the minimum needed to maintain product quality. Going to zero coal, as the mandate requires, is something the sector is not technically ready for, and the research needed to get it there has not been done at the scale required,” said CSE.All 128 kilns surveyed in 2025 and the 152 kilns surveyed in 2026 had formally converted from the conventional fixed chimney bull’s trench kiln to zig-zag technology as mandated. “But the conversion on paper has not meant conversion in practice. Around 70% of the evaluated kilns had cracks, broken walls or poor-quality plastering. In a zig-zag kiln, structural integrity is essential, cold air leaks through any opening, heat escapes and fuel consumption rises,” CSE pointed out.In 2025, no green cover was observed in about 82% of the surveyed kilns while 78% had no green cover in 2026. Only two surveyed kilns in 2026 had sufficient plantation on their premises. “Brick kilns were found operating in close proximity to schools in Bulandshahr and Panipat,” said CSE.The report recommended technical assistance to support fuel transition, development of monitoring mechanisms to prevent coal supply to NCR kilns, standardisation of biomass fuel quality, and better collaboration between regulators and technical institutions to facilitate compliance.
