Children - Terre des Hommes

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Inadequate Health Facilities
Several villages said that although there was a government
PHC close by, these often have no doctors and lack essential
medicines, such as those for malaria treatment. Instead, they
are forced to travel to private clinics and pay for treatment
when they are seriously sick or injured. Residents from
Jethwai village, Jaisalmer district, explained how before the
PHC was too far away but they lobbied with the government
and provided space in a building so the PHC was moved to
their village. However, there was no doctor’s post there and
the nurse was said to be absent most of the time. If they fell
sick, they have to take the bus to the government hospital
in Jaisalmer. 122 There is also a PHC in Joga village, but the
doctor only comes once a month and the nurse has studied
only till class IV, as told by the villagers. Their nearest hospital
is 60 km away in Jaisalmer and a bus service was started only
a month before the study team visited the village. 123
Access to Water
Continuous drought for the past 20 years has created
enormous water problems in Rajasthan. The recent failure
of agriculture in the state has been largely attributed to the
lack of rainfall, particularly in the western part of the state.
Increased mining activity has also added to this pressure,
with a number of villages reporting that their water had
been siphoned off by companies for mining activities. Just
outside Joga village, a wall was built by a mining company
next to the agricultural land previously cultivated by the
village. This meant that the water no longer flows down onto
the agricultural land leaving no water for irrigation. 124
“All of our money is spent on water.”
- Female mine worker, Bhat Basti, Jodhpur district
Other villages reported that they were forced to spend a
significant percentage of their meagre earnings from mining
on water for their basic needs. In Bhat Basti village, there is
no water supply so they have to pay for tankers. One tank
of water contains 3,000 litres and costs Rs. 400. A woman
interviewed in Bhat Basti explained how water was so scarce
in their village, that she was unable to bathe her children.
In crisis ridden Jaisalmer, poor water management and seepage
(Photo July 2009)
Her six daughters were covered in dust and grime, and when
she was asked about their health and hygiene she explained
how water was so scarce, she could not afford to waste it on
bathing her children. 125
In Bhuri Beri village, Jodhpur district, female mine workers
explained how despite the dirty, dusty work they carried out,
they were unable to bathe every day due to water scarcity
in the area. They reported that they get their water from a
hand pump but this regularly breaks down and does not get
fixed for weeks. They pay Rs. 50 a month to get salty water
for washing their clothes. 126
Conclusions
It is clear from the interviews carried out in Jodhpur,
Jaisalmer and Barmer, as well as from the large number of
NGO and media reports available on mining in Rajasthan,
that child labour continues to be a huge problem in the stone
quarrying sector in the state. Despite the fact that child
labour is so visible in the stone quarries across Rajasthan,
there is no concerted effort by either the government or
mining operators there to address the problem.
In addition to child labour, there are other serious but
less well publicised issues affecting children in the mining
areas of the state. Malnutrition was a serious problem in all
mining-affected communities visited, and this appeared to
be getting worse with the reduction in available agricultural
122. Interview with residents of Jethwai village, Jaisalmer district, July 2009.
123. Interview with residents of Joga village, Jaisalmer district, July 2009.
124. Visit to Joga village, Jaisalmer district, July 2009.
125. Interview carried out in Bhat Basti, Jodhpur district, Rajasthan, October 2009.
126. Interview with female mine workers, Bhuri Beri village, Jodhpur district, July 2009.