Children - Terre des Hommes

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drop-out rate and there are only two children working in the
mines. However, she admitted that most of the children go
to the mine sites to help their parents and also, alternately,
attend school. This category of semi-labour participation by
children is one of the most invisible forms of child labour.
In Chanabahar village, the community reported that atleast
20 children have dropped out of school because of poverty
caused by mining and around 25 teenagers are working in the
mines as daily wage labour.
There is one NCLP school up to class V, in Birmitrapur,
which is managed by an NGO from Rourkela. There are only
40 children enrolled, of which only 11 children were present
on the day of our visit. The teacher stated that there are more
than 200 child labourers in Birmitrapur town itself, but they
are unable to come to the NCLP school due to abject poverty
of the families, and therefore have to supplement the family
incomes.
Displacement
Dolomite mining of BSL, Sundergarh
(Photo November 2009)
Inspite of the existence of mining companies, migration of
unskilled workers is high in Sundergarh, which speaks for the
low employment opportunities that mining companies create
for local people. This is also the reason why Sundergarh has
become one of the junctions for trafficking and migration,
especially with respect to young girls being whisked away by
organised trade for human labour as well as for prostitution. 271
In Birmitrapur, alteast 50 more families whose lands were
taken for mining, have yet to receive compensation. These
families continue to live in the slum in Birmitrapur as they
wait for compensation, but the landlessness has forced them
to make their children drop out of school and take them for
mine labour. The impoverishment is clearly visible with daily
wage labour being the only form of subsistence.
When we visited the Purna Panni Limestone and Dolomite
Quarries, the Assistant General Manager gave information
about the social welfare activities taken up by the company
under corporate social responsibility (CSR), although the
mines are currently shut down and may be reopened as a
joint venture with SAIL. He talked about how the mining
provided economic opportunities to the local people besides
other facilities like electricity, roads, health camps, fishing
rights and other amenities. However, the testimonies of the
people of Purna Panni village disputed these claims.
In Purna Panni village, 40 per cent of the population fall
below the age of 18 years. Atleast five villages were affected
by Purna Panni Limestone and Dolomite Quarries and were
forced to migrate to find wage labour elsewhere like Gujarat,
Delhi, Punjab, Andamans and other places. The company
has not employed the 1,000–1,200 locals displaced by their
project, whereas compensation and jobs were promised at the
time of land acquisition. Not even drinking water or medical
facilities were provided to the community.
In Chanabahar the local village leaders complained that
companies like M/s. Chariot Steel and Power Private
Limited, M/s. Tripathi Company and others were involved
in illegal mining activities and were encroaching on to adivasi
lands. They reported that about 81 acres of such illegally
acquired land, affecting about 10 families, were under mining
operations. The villagers said that the affected families were
given Rs.1,500 per acre as compensation and were promised
employment and other benefits, which they have not received
so far. All these families are in a state of impoverishment and
work as landless labourers today.
Water Contamination and Its Impact
on Health
Water is the most serious problem expressed by the local
communities besides the malnourishment of children. Prior
to mining, the local river was a common property, which was
the main source of water for drinking and irrigation. After
BSL company got the mining lease, water was diverted to
271. http://comhlamh.org/assets/files/pdfs/Web_Focus80(1).pdf