Financial needs push farmers in Perera Pur village in Uttar Pradesh lease out their land to kilns. Making bricks with the topsoil of a farm reduces soil fertility, productivity and income, forcing farmers into a vicious cycle of economic challenges.
Kiran Devi resides in Perera Pur village with her large family of 12 members. Her family used to cultivate land measuring 1.5 bighas (one-third of an acre), producing up to 14 quintals of crops. However, she works as a farm labourer now.
In the rural expanse of Amraudha administrative block in Kanpur district lies the village of Perera Pur, where the relentless activity of brick kilns has indelibly transformed the agricultural landscape.
The once-fertile fields that promised bountiful harvests yield little now, a consequence of the soil being extracted for brick-making. This shift has not only degraded the land but also deeply impacted the lives of local farmers.
In Kiran Devi’s farm, the last three years have seen a drastic decline in productivity, plummeting to 4-6 quintals. This stark reduction is a direct result of the soil being extracted for the nearby brick kilns.
In the face of economic and personal pressures, farmers like Kiran Devi have had to make tough choices, ending up as farm labourers despite owning land.
Farmers allow brick kilns to take the topsoil from their farms. They don’t permanently give away the land, but lease the topsoil to the kilns for a certain period. At the end of this period, the farmers reclaim their land, hoping it will yield good results as before.
But they find that the yield is not the same as the pre-lease yield. Removing the fertile top layer leaves the land barren or less productive until it regenerates, which can take years.
The topsoil is the most fertile soil layer, rich in organic matter, nutrients and microorganisms essential for plant growth. When removed, the underlying less fertile and more compact soil layers are exposed, leading to decreased soil quality, fertility, reduced water retention and diminished crop yields. The compact layers hold less water, hindering plant growth. Although adding manure and fertiliser can offset some fertility loss, the overall impact remains significant.
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Lakhan, a local farmer who gave away topsoil for Rs 60,000 per bigha, now hopes to stop leasing it. Despite the heavy degradation of soil fertility, he speaks of a possible future where he might reclaim his land.
“If we get our land back, we will sow wheat, rice and bajra,” he says, his voice filled with a cautious optimism. Their ability to be self-reliant in the coming years hinges on the prospect of revitalising their agricultural practices.
Kiran Devi felt compelled to give the topsoil to the kilns when she had to choose between the farm and educating her children.
“We had no other option, especially with the need to educate our children,” she explained, a sense of resignation in her voice, on why she decided to give her land on lease.
Satyavati, another farmer who is now a farm labourer in Perera Pur, recounted her decision to start selling soil to the kilns 22 years ago.
“We needed the money for my son’s wedding, so we gave the soil,” Satyavati stated simply. Despite owning the land, the yield is modest – 5 quintals of bajra and 6 quintals of wheat – barely enough to sustain her family. Her two sons and two daughters do not attend school, as a result of the difficult economic choices the family has had to make.
For Rajesh Kumar and Vimla Devi, the decision to give their land to the brick kilns was the need to educate their three children.
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Ramankanti’s story mirrors the collective plight of the community. Her family owns 3 bighas of land, which they gave to the brick kilns nearly seven years ago. The primary driver for giving away their soil was her husband’s severe illness and the subsequent need to fund their daughter’s wedding.
“Ever since the soil was taken, the land has started becoming barren,” said Kiran Devi. The once plentiful fields are not fertile enough to grow even basic crops like wheat. Her attempts to grow bajra have failed entirely.
Ramakanti’s land produced a substantial 13-14 quintals of crops. Today, the yield is less than half. “We used to get good yield, but now it’s barely anything,” she lamented. The family – four members of which now work as farm labourers – struggles to make ends meet.
In the seven-bigha land of Rajesh Kumar and Vimla Devi, the yield has dwindled. The productivity in their fields, situated near a kiln, has vastly reduced.
The depth to which kiln owners excavate soil can vary, but there are indeed regulations in place to control this. In Uttar Pradesh, the state government has regulations regarding the depth of soil that can be excavated by brick kilns.
According to the proposed rule for the establishment of brick kilns in Uttar Pradesh, the excavation for brick manufacturing should be restricted to a maximum depth of 2 metres below the general ground level. But it’s a common occurrence that farm owners or those leasing the land are not adequately informed about the extent of topsoil extraction. This systematic and often uninformed removal of topsoil has played a significant role in the widespread soil degradation observed in many villages.
The transformation of agricultural land into brick kilns in Perera Pur village has left a deep impact on the local farming community.
Rajnarayan, a muneem (clerk) at one of the kilns, shed light on the kilns’ operations. “We have been in this business for 35 years. The kilns assess the quality of soil before deciding where to operate,” he said. “If the topsoil’s quality deteriorates, we try to look for soil somewhere else.”
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When the farming families face urgent financial needs such as education, weddings and medical treatments, they give their lands to kilns on lease. When they get their land back after a few years, the productivity is less, leading to economic loss. So it’s a vicious cycle of financial needs and reduced yields that continues for years.
This shift not only disrupts traditional farming practices but also poses long-term socioeconomic challenges for the community.
The lead image shows a woman working in a brick kiln at Perera Pur village in Uttar Pradesh. (Photo by Janki)
Anjali and Goldy, who have completed their schooling, are Udaan fellows, a climate action initiative empowering young girls connected to the brick kiln industry to become digital storytellers. Their parents are part of the brick kiln workforce. Sejal Patel is a Delhi-based journalist and currently a writer with Khabar Lahariya.
