Monu Ram Brick Plant

Down in Village Damkuda, we’ve got the brick plant set up near Kumatoli. It’s out in Tehsil Sundergarh where there is plenty of space for the kilns. Making bricks is heavy work and it’s mostly what we do from sunrise until it gets too dark to see. The clay around here is good for it. We have heaps of finished bricks waiting to be picked up. Sometimes the weather doesn't help us, especially when the rains start and everything gets muddy. Then we just have to wait it out. It’s a bit of a drive to get out here, but most people know the way past the village. Monu Ram Brick Plant isn't a fancy place with signs or anything. It's just a work site with a lot of smoke and fire. We spend our days checking the heat and making sure the bricks are setting right. It’s a dirty job, your hands are always stained red by noon. We eat our lunch under the shade of a big tree nearby. The workers live close by, so we’re like a little community out here. People come from the nearby towns when they’re building something new. We just load them up and they head back. It’s honest work and it keeps us busy throughout the season. There’s always more wood to haul or more clay to dig. That’s just life at the plant. It isn't always easy but it is what we do.