TARA participated as a speaker at a workshop organised by the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) in Jharsuguda, chaired by Sri Tankadhar Tripathy, Hon’ble MLA, Jharsuguda Assembly Constituency. The event brought together over 70 participants, including brick kiln owners from across the state and key stakeholders such as NTPC, Odisha Power Generation Corporation Ltd. (OPGC), and JSW Energy (Utkal) Ltd., to deliberate on pathways for a low-carbon built environment in Odisha.

The workshop aimed to drive a transformative shift in the state’s brick industry by transitioning from topsoil-based red bricks to fly ash brick manufacturing and adopting cleaner brick-making technologies to promote eco-friendly, resource-efficient, and low-carbon practices.

Aligned with Odisha’s SDG and Net Zero targets, the discussions focused on the challenges faced by kiln owners in adopting new technologies, accessing finance, upskilling workers, strengthening market linkages, and encouraging behavioural change for wider acceptance. The need to address policy gaps, introduce incentives for sustainable sectoral growth, and mainstream low-carbon building materials through research, policy development, capacity building, and multi-stakeholder collaboration was also emphasised.

In this context, TARA presented findings from its geospatial study on the status of the brick kiln industry in selected districts of Odisha, highlighting the distribution and density of different kiln types. The presentation also showcased TARA’s ongoing support to enterprises in adopting cleaner technologies and promoting new fly ash brick units across the region.