(BSS)- Department of Environment (DoE) in different drives across the country fined about Taka 20 crore and shut down 462 brick kilns.

DoE mobile courts conducted the drives from January 2 to March 9 to tackling pollution through mobile court, a press release of the DoE today said.

During the period, the DoE operated a total of 598 mobile courts. The drives focused on addressing a range of pollution-related issues, including excessive black smoke from vehicles, illegal polluting brick kilns, steel mills, noise pollution, hazardous waste disposal, lead/battery recycling factories, wetland encroachment, tire pyrolysis plants, charcoal factories, and air pollution caused by construction materials left in open spaces, the release said.

DoE filed 1,363 cases against the law breakers and fined Taka19.79 crore.

As part of the crackdown on illegal brick kilns, 305 brick kiln chimneys were demolished.

Moreover, 20 additional mobile court drives took place in several districts, including Panchagarh, Kurigram, Dinajpur, Nilphamari, Jhenaidah, Bhola, Sirajganj, Meherpur, Moulvibazar, Pirojpur, Gaibandha, Shariatpur, Barguna, Thakurgaon, Bogura, and Sherpur.