Bumthang Dzongkhag Tshogdu’s monitoring and evaluation committee will inspect the feasibility of using locally manufactured mud bricks for building constructions. The municipal authority restricted its sale for constructing exterior parts of buildings about three months ago.
The issue was discussed during the Dzongkhag Tshogdu held recently.
Some members of the house said the restriction imposed on the brick manufacturing unit in Dekiling needs to be revisited. The establishment, they reasoned, would help in youth employment and import substitution among other reasons.
“The quality of the bricks manufactured at the unit has been tested and certified by the Bhutan Standards Bureau. Therefore, I feel there is no harm in selling the bricks in the market,” Ugen Sangay, the Thromde Representative, said.
“I think the bricks from the unit will help in import substitution. It can be used in constructions instead of the imported red bricks. The owner should be allowed to manufacture the bricks for commercial purposes,” the Ura Gup Khandu Wangchuk said.
The municipal engineer justified, the restriction was imposed to avoid further construction of buildings with unapproved materials.
“We are the monitoring authority in the district. When some people do not follow the regulations in place, others complain to us saying that there are people doing business with unapproved materials. Moreover, they say the structures built with mud bricks look similar to imported brick structures,” Municipal Engineer Tshewang Peljor said.
“We have even put the same restriction for hollow block manufacturers. However, we haven’t restricted the bricks for the construction of interior parts of buildings.”
The owner of the manufacturing unit feels it would be difficult for him to make enough returns from the investment he made for the brick-manufacturing unit.
“It will affect me if I am only allowed to sell the bricks for constructing interior parts of the buildings. As the bricks I manufacture are made of local materials, it will look like the stone claddings the municipal authority currently permits. I think what’s required to preserve the traditional architecture is the architecture itself and not the materials used,” Sonam Tshering, the owner of Sonam T Hollow Block, said.
The Dzongkhag Tshogdu’s monitoring and evaluation committee will inspect the quality of the bricks. It will also see whether a sample structure constructed with the brick will have a traditional Bhutanese architectural look and design.
At present, the Bumthang Valley Development Control Regulations allow only stone masonry for construction of exterior parts of buildings while hollow blocks and bricks can be used for the interior parts.
