Children - Terre des Hommes

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had no land to start with and worked as labourers on other
people’s land, so they received no compensation at all and
now lack employment opportunities.
Families in Mariyammnahalli, in Bellary district, Karnataka,
have lost their agricultural land, and therefore their financial
security. They have now become daily wage labourers
working in mine sites. Many of these former farmers are
now forced to send their children out to work as they can
no longer afford to continue sending them to school. As
well as working in mining, these children are sent to work
in other sectors, such as the garment industry. According to
the Child Rights Trust in Hospet, there are many children
working in the garment industry in the district, which is
famous for its jeans.
Impacts of displacement on education
and health
Displacement causes a significant disruption to education
and healthcare for children. Families may be forced to
relocate to areas where infrastructure is poor or there is
a lack of basic services. Many displaced children rarely
have the opportunity to return to school after moving
locations. Because their parents lose their livelihoods and
end up as migrant daily wage labour, children of displaced
families are often forced to work in order to contribute
financially to their family’s survival. The education of girls,
already a low priority in many communities, suffers further
post displacement. 50 Many of the villages visited in Koraput
and Rayagada districts in Orissa, where a large number of
families have been displaced for mining projects, had no
schools, not even at the primary level. Parents cannot afford
to send their children away to boarding schools, so the
children are unable to attend school and instead go out to
work.
The health of communities is found to deteriorate following
displacement. The already marginal health status of
displaced people is worsened by the stress and trauma of
moving, leading to mental health problems, and problems
associated with communities gaining access to safe water
and sanitation create new health problems. 51 Many displaced
communities have problems accessing clean water. Residents
of the displaced camps surrounding the NALCO project in
Koraput, Orissa told researchers how water scarcity is one
of the major challenges they now face. The mining company
has allocated one bore well per at least 10 households in the
the officers of the company. 52
Increasing amounts of agricultural land being turned over
to mining is having a particular impact in terms of food
security in a number of mining areas. Minerals tend to
be located in rich fertile lands — and this agricultural land
cannot be easily replaced. Although companies argue that
mining operations lead to jobs and economic development,
this loss of agricultural and grazing land is also leading to
increased hunger and malnutrition.
for the NALCO aluminium project. Much of the land that
was lost to mining was agricultural and paddy land and the
local population depended heavily on agricultural work for
their survival. 53 With this loss of land, the population can
no longer depend on agriculture for their livelihoods and
occupation patterns have changed. People now work as
manual labour for companies or for government schemes
and struggle to find full time work. This has also had an
impact on their diet – whereas before they would grow their
own vegetables, now they cannot, and for many families it
is too expensive to buy vegetables regularly from the local
market.
In Thumbli village, Barmer district, Rajasthan, numerous
villagers explained how they used to grow their own
vegetables, but now they have lost their agricultural land to
lignite mines, vegetables no longer constitute a regular part
of their diet as these are too expensive for them to buy in
46.
47.
48.
Interviews in mining-affected communities in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu, August 2009.
Interviews with mineworkers, Mariyammnahalli, Bellary district, Karnataka, June 2009.
Interview with Child Rights Trust, Hospet, Karnataka, June 2009.
49. Bhanumathi Kalluri, Ravi Rebbapragada, 2009, Displaced by Development – Confronting Marginalisation and Gender Injustice – The Samatha Judgement –
Upholding the Rights of Adivasi Women, Sage Publications.
50.
Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, Internal Displacement in India, November 2007, http://lib.ohchr.org/HRBodies/UPR/Documents/Session1/IN/
IDMC_IND_UPR_S1_2008_InternalDiscplacementMonitoringCenter_uprsubmission.pdf; uploaded: 14 October 2009.
51. Theodore E. Downing, Avoiding New Poverty: Mining-Induced Displacement and Resettlement, April 2002, pp. 11.
52.
53.
54.
Interviews in Damanjodi, Orissa, June 2009.
Interviews in mining-affected communities in Koraput district, Orissa, June 2009.
Ibid.