annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights
annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights
annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights
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INDIA HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2005 Jharkhand<br />
her land as sand and stone chips were<br />
being thrown at her land and crops.<br />
Similarly, Parvati Marandi of Makrapahari<br />
leased her plot to Gouri Shankar Bhagat<br />
<strong>for</strong> five years. But her land was slowly<br />
being occupied by one miner Panna Singh<br />
from one side and Gauri Shankar Bagat<br />
from another side. 38<br />
iii. Health<br />
The tribal areas have little access to<br />
health care facilities. Villages like Chukru<br />
and Bhakhari in Daltongunj, a tribal belt in<br />
Palamau district are seriously affected by<br />
fluorosis because of the absence of proper<br />
drinking water facilities. The indigenous<br />
peoples have been <strong>for</strong>ced to consume<br />
water contaminated with fluoride. In 1986,<br />
the National Drinking Water Commission<br />
had set up a committee to provide safe<br />
drinking water to all fluorosis-affected<br />
villages by 1990. A survey conducted by<br />
Society <strong>for</strong> Environment and Social<br />
Awareness found that 17-20 per cent of the<br />
villagers were suffering from the disease.<br />
A project to provide potable water to the<br />
villages from a tank in Daltongunj was<br />
conceived at a cost of Rs 1.75 crore. Pipes<br />
were laid and a tank was constructed. But<br />
be<strong>for</strong>e the tank could even be used to store<br />
water, it started showing cracks in 1999.<br />
None of the district officials cared to<br />
complete the project. 39<br />
The Pahariya tribe of Santhal<br />
Parganas district is an endangered tribe. In<br />
the absence of proper medicines and<br />
healthcare facilities, deaths due to diseases<br />
like malaria and kala-azar (black fever)<br />
occur in epidemic proportions. Every year<br />
during the summer months the deadly<br />
black fever claims hundreds of lives.<br />
Twelve Pahariyas died in July and August<br />
2004 due to kalaazar at Phitkoriya village<br />
under Rajbandh Panchayat. 40 Records also<br />
revealed that the disease directly affected<br />
more than 2,800 Pahariya people with 679<br />
deaths in 2003 in Santhal Parganas. 41<br />
iv. Extreme poverty<br />
On 19 September 2004, the<br />
Opposition in Jharkhand claimed that at<br />
least 14 starvation deaths had occurred in<br />
the districts of Dumka and Palamu within<br />
a month. The State government blamed it<br />
on malnutrition. 42 The Central and the state<br />
governments have <strong>report</strong>edly released Rs<br />
8.8 crores as interim drought relief. But<br />
villagers alleged that not a penny had<br />
reached them. 43<br />
Taking cognizance of the <strong>report</strong>ed<br />
starvation deaths in Jharkhand, the<br />
National <strong>Human</strong> <strong>Rights</strong> Commission on 5<br />
October 2004 asked the State government<br />
to explain within two weeks the reasons<br />
behind the deaths. 44<br />
Santu Munda <strong>report</strong>edly starved to<br />
death at Betulkhurd village in Gola block<br />
in Hazaribagh district in December 2003.<br />
Acting on a petition filed by human right<br />
activist Ranjeet Kumar Roy, the Jharkhand<br />
High Court on 16 April 2004 served notice<br />
to the State Welfare and Rehabilitation<br />
Commissioner and Hazaribagh Deputy<br />
Development Commissioner, besides the<br />
block development officer and block<br />
welfare officer of Gola and directed them<br />
113