Under the weight of bricks

Bangladesh is located on the deltas of several major rivers flowing into the Bay of Bengal. The country’s position on such alluvial plain involves little natural rock available, that is necessary for bricks making, the main material for buildings construction. To meet this demand, there are approximately 5.000 privately operated bricks kilns in the country, including 1.000 around the capital Dhaka. Men and women emigrate to the outskirts of cities and work here as they did 150 years ago: they collect the clay from humid areas, mix it with water, shape bricks with their hands, let them dry in the sun, and then make them “cook” in the traditional ovens. The furnaces activity has serious consequences on workers’ health and the surrounding environment. Bangladeshi furnaces are estimated to release more than 9.8 million tons of greenhouse gases into the air on a yearly basis. Smoke from smokestacks harms eyes, lungs and throats, endangering workers health and surrounding villages. In addition, approximately 25% of the national timber production is used as fuel for furnaces, causing massive deforestation. In the bricks trap, not only adults are entangled, but also children. They work for hours, earning as much as the adults do, because the daily pay depends on the number of bricks one can carry. “Under the weight of bricks” is a photo-reportage by Luca Catalano Gonzaga, funded by the Nando and Elsa Peretti Foundation. (text by Luca Catalano Gonzaga).

 

  • Dhaka, Bangladesh 2010. Transport of material for making bricks in the Meghna river.
  • Dhaka, Bangladesh 2010. Smoke rises from chimneys causing severe air pollution, in the Gabtoly area, on the outskirts of Dhaka. Kilns consume large quantities of fuel such as coal, firewood and other biomasses.
  • Dhaka, Bangladesh 2010. Child labor in bricks kilns is one of the biggest plagues in Bangladesh.
  • Dhaka, Bangladesh 2010. Men at work.
  • Dhaka, Bangladesh 2010. Materials for making bricks are sifted from the riverbed.
  • Dhaka, Bangladesh 2010. Break time for bricks worker.
  • Dhaka, Bangladesh 2010. Men at work. Bricks kilns are expanding fast as it is the primary construction material in Bangladesh due to the lack of stone aggregate.
  • Dhaka, Bangladesh 2010. Women at work in a bricks factory.
  • Dhaka, Bangladesh 2010. On average, an adult laborer working 12 hours transports 2.000 bricks a day, with an income of 20 dollars.
  • Dhaka, Bangladesh 2010. A worker gets ready to carry bricks, wrapping his head with a cloth.
  • Dhaka, Bangladesh 2010. Workers transport the bricks after they are cooked. About one million people are employed in Bangladesh’s bricks manufacturing plants.
  • Dhaka, Bangladesh 2010. Transport of mud for bricks production.
  • Dhaka, Bangladesh 2010. Women at work, in the Gazipur area.
  • Dhaka, Bangladesh 2010. Overview of the Buriganga River.
  • Dhaka, Bangladesh 2010. Boats are used to transport mud to the bricks kilns.
  • Dhaka, Bangladesh 2010. Young workers are getting ready to transport bricks. Their pay equals the one of adults, and it is based on the number of bricks carried on a daily basis.
  • Dhaka, Bangladesh 2010. Workers carry bricks ready for cooking, after they have been dried in the sun.
  • Dhaka, Bangladesh 2010. Making of bricks in the areas around the kilns.
  • Dhaka, Bangladesh 2010. Some furnaces submerged by water, during the rainy season. Furnaces operate only during the dry season and this leaves millions of workers unemployed during the remaining five to six months of the year. Many remain jobless, others accepts irregular jobs as farmers or day worker.
  • Dhaka, Bangladesh. Carrying bricks causes irreparable damages to the spine and to the respiratory system.
  • Dhaka, Bangladesh 2010. Transportation of bricks to be cooked in the furnaces.
  • Dhaka, Bangladesh 2010. A worker is on her way to the kilns, for the bricks cooking.
  • Dhaka, Bangladesh 2010. It is estimated that there are approximately 5.000 privately operated bricks kilns, including 1.000 around the capital Dhaka.
  • Dhaka, Bangladesh 2010. Workers during the transport of materials for the construction of brick firing furnaces.
  • Dhaka, Bangladesh 2010. Mother and son inside their sheet metal house nearby the furnace.
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