Bricks are made from clay, sand and water, shaped into the desired form, laid out in the sun to dry and then baked in massive ovens. You can see the big chimneys and ovens in the distance. The brick makers need a lot of space to work and lots of water, so they're on the outskirts of the city near riverbeds. As Chennai continues a real estate boom, building material prices are high. One brick is about Rs. 15, not much by world standards, but expensive enough since they're the basis of almost every house wall in the city. When it's monsoon season, brick making is suspended.
An interesting insight into the industry
ReplyDeleteFascinating! I don't think I've ever thought much about brick-making, although I remember our first house in Arizona was made of brick and people warned us to make certain it was not made of Mexican brick which they said was inferior! :-)
ReplyDelete