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Dhanbad News: Artisan Mahendra says that the work of brick making is completely based on skill and patience. It takes about 5 minutes to prepare one brick. Wet clay is shaped through a mould. Due to which bricks weighing about 4 to 5 kg are prepared.
In Jeetpur Bhagabandh area of Jharia, mud brick manufacturing work has remained the main source of employment for years. At the many brick kilns located here, artisans from Giridih and West Bengal work hard to produce excellent bricks. There is a lot of demand for bricks from this area for house construction. Because it is strong, uniform in shape and durable.
Artisan Mahendra says that the work of brick making is completely based on skill and patience. It takes about 5 minutes to prepare one brick. Wet clay is shaped through a mould. Due to which bricks weighing about 4 to 5 kg are prepared. After this, they are dried in the sun and cooked on low flame in chimney kilns and Bangla kilns. When the bricks are cooked on low heat of coal for 3 to 4 days, then a shining red brick is ready, which is sent to the market.
Strength dependent on soil quality
For brick manufacturing, clean, soft and stone-free soil is required. For this, with the help of a pick, soil is dug and collected at one place. After adding water, the soil is left for some time so that it gets thoroughly soaked. Then it is made uniform by turning it two to three times with a shovel. After this, the soil is covered with large polythene so that moisture remains. In the morning, the work of digging the soil and adding water is done. The brick making process begins in the afternoon, around 3 to 4 pm. Artisans work as a team. A person applies light sand to the mold. The second one fills the clay and gives it the shape of a brick. At least 2000 bricks are prepared every day from 4:00 in the morning to 2:00 in the afternoon. There are a total of 15 laborers here who work in brick making. For 40 years, we have been working in brick kilns in the number of 10 people at many places in Dhanbad through artisans.
children also work as laborers
According to artisan Mahendra, he has to engage in this work due to non-payment of wages and lack of employment. The sad thing is that their children also start working as masons within 6 months. Away from education, it becomes a compulsion for them to work as laborers at an early age, so that they can support their families. Mahendra says that if the wages are right and there is no shortage of work, then why come to the brick kiln but it is necessary to extinguish the fire in the stomach.
Small gains yet the struggle continues
The brick industry has promoted economic activities in the area. But the life of workers is still full of struggle. If the government and local administration pay attention to the workers’ daily wages, security and children’s education, their lives can also change for the better. Every brick made in the kilns of Jharia is a symbol of the hard work, sweat and hopes of the artisans. Which becomes the basis of light for many families.
