A large number of brick kiln owners and workers on Monday gathered at the Kanniyakumari Collectorate and submitted petitions urging the district administration to permit the reopening of brick kilns that were sealed by officials over the past few months.According to the petitioners, several brick kilns in areas, including Poovangodu, Kuzhithurai, Thiruvattar and other neighbouring localities, were sealed without any prior notice. The action had severely affected the livelihoods of thousands of workers who depended on the brick-making industry for income.One of the petitioners, Raveendran of VTC Vilavancode, said he had been working at a brick kiln in Kuzhithurai for the past 15 years.
However, the kiln closed down on October 13 without any prior notice, which affected the livelihood of several workers dependent on it.He urged the authorities to consider giving temporary permits to the brick kiln to resume operations. He also requested that adequate time be granted to operators to obtain permanent approval by complying with applicable rules and regulations.The owners and workers urged the district administration to intervene immediately and consider the livelihood concerns of those dependent on the industry and allow the sealed brick kilns to resume operations.
Published - November 02, 2026 09:18 pm IST