CSE Survey Finds 72 Percent of Delhi-NCR Brick Kilns Still Burning Coal

More than 70 per cent of surveyed brick kilns in Delhi-NCR continued using coal during the 2025-26 season despite a Commission for Air Quality Management ban on coal use, according to a new report by the Centre for Science and Environment. The survey covered 152 kilns in 2026, finding that 72 per cent used coal in combination with loose biomass, a marginal decline from 77 per cent recorded across 128 kilns surveyed in 2025.

All surveyed kilns had formally converted from Fixed Chimney Bull's Trench Kiln technology to Zig-Zag technology as mandated, but around 70 per cent of evaluated kilns had structural defects including cracks, broken walls and poor-quality plastering that increased fuel consumption and reduced efficiency. The report, Rules Without Reach, published June 12, 2026, found that many kiln owners expanded trench widths to 40-50 feet, nearly double the prescribed 20-25 feet, to maximise output within the Supreme Court-mandated four-month operating window. Of 60 kiln owners interviewed, none reported receiving formal communication from CAQM or State Pollution Control Boards about the coal ban.

The survey documented widespread non-compliance with green cover requirements: in 2026, 118 of 152 surveyed kilns had no green cover at all, with only two kilns meeting plantation requirements. Poor internal road conditions were identified as a major source of fugitive dust during brick transportation. Forty per cent of kiln owners said they learned about the ban through media, while the remaining 60 per cent were informed through union meetings or WhatsApp groups. No technical sessions were organised by regulatory authorities to explain transition pathways, and no financial support was provided for the shift away from coal.

CSE Programme Officer Subhrajit Goswami said the CAQM coal ban was necessary but unlikely to change ground-level behaviour without a transition strategy, technical guidance and institutional support. Kiln owners maintain that a blend of 20-30 per cent coal with 70-80 per cent biomass is the minimum needed to maintain product quality due to biomass's lower calorific value. The report recommends developing standard operating procedures for fuel transition, strengthening pollution control board field capacity and establishing quality standards for briquettes and pellets. CSE's Nivit Kumar Yadav called for a National Brick Mission with a clear policy roadmap, blended finance opportunities and coordinated action among regulators, researchers, industry and civil society.

Key figure — 72% of 152 surveyed kilns using coal in 2026