Calcutta, Sept. 25: Cement major ACC Ltd will make fly-ash bricks.

The first plant will come up on the Burdwan-Katwa Road and will produce four to five lakh pieces of the eco-friendly brick per month. The unit is likely to become operational within a month, said R. Manikandan, head of product development at ACC.

ACC has tied up with the Bengal government-owned Durgapur Projects Ltd for the supply of fly ash which is generated as waste during power generation. According to Manikandan, the company plans to appoint franchises to set up 50 such units across Bengal. To popularise the use of fly-ash brick in construction, ACC plans to organise workshops for architects, engineers and masons in various localities.

“Despite being eco-friendly, cheaper and technically superior, fly-ash bricks are yet to catch up with the masons and builders. The entry of ACC and marketing and other support to the franchises will help to promote the use of fly-ash bricks,” said P.K. Darolia, director of Kolkata Bricks, a city-based maker of fly-ash bricks.