Prospects and Problems of Small Scale Brick Units in Theni District

Abstract

Brick is a common building material and it is considered as an indispensable material in the building industry. Brick manufacturing, being complementary to the building industry, plays a significant role in the process of urbanisation and economic development. Rapid growth of population and expansion of cities have resulted in increasing demand for better housing. This has led to the development of industries, manufacturing modern building materials such as; burnt bricks, tiles, cement, iron and steel, plumbing materials, mosaic chips and the like.

Despite the growth prospects, the small scale brick unit in India is not free from constraints. At present, brick units are prone to a number of problems such as; dearth of raw materials, scarcity of finance, under-utilisation of technology, migration and management of labourers and inapt climatic conditions - particularly rainy seasons. Hence, an attempt is made to study the problems and prospects of small scale brick units in Theni district is the need of this hour.