Children - Terre des Hommes
Children - Terre des Hommes Children - Terre des Hommes
90 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.
91 land as more and more is acquired for mining and quarrying. The provision of healthcare and education in the mining areas was also found to be seriously lacking. Health centres without doctors and schools without teachers were frequent problems reported by the communities. As with other case study areas, an urgent comprehensive assessment of the status of children of mine workers, as well as of local communities, and the status of the institutional structures for children have to be immediately addressed in the state. A review of the nature and scale of mining in Rajasthan has to be urgently taken up so that indicators of Rajasthan’s growth are not just calculated from the trade in stones but also from the human development, and especially child development indicators which are in a shameful state in mining affected Rajasthan. (Acknowledgements: The above case study was done in partnership with MLPC, Jodhpur which is working for the rights of mine workers in the villages from where the data was collected.)
- Page 40 and 41: 37 Table 1.4: Total number of child
- Page 42 and 43: 39 Bearing in mind that many of the
- Page 44 and 45: 41 children are working in mines in
- Page 46 and 47: 43 significant problem. A study car
- Page 48 and 49: 45 Part II State Reports 1. Karnata
- Page 50 and 51: 48 basic healthcare to its populati
- Page 52 and 53: 50 Kolar district: Key facts Total
- Page 54 and 55: 52 and pursued higher education. Th
- Page 56 and 57: 54 has created a peculiar aesthetic
- Page 58 and 59: 56 number of children working in th
- Page 60 and 61: 58 almost every child is absent for
- Page 62 and 63: 60 Table 2.02: Survey on children n
- Page 64 and 65: 62 the village were cough, eye infe
- Page 66 and 67: 65 Maharashtra State Overview Mahar
- Page 68 and 69: 67 154 are in Maharashtra (making i
- Page 70 and 71: 69 poverty, (ii) education, (iii) h
- Page 72 and 73: 71 Quarry is a very big area spread
- Page 74 and 75: 73 family works as a unit and manag
- Page 76 and 77: 75 Table 2.06: Class-wise distribut
- Page 78 and 79: 77 Children in stone quarries hit b
- Page 80 and 81: 80 Literacy levels are also poor in
- Page 82 and 83: 82 and quarrying in the state. Of t
- Page 84 and 85: 84 Follow up interviews were carrie
- Page 86 and 87: 86 At Thumbli village, residents ex
- Page 88 and 89: 88 usually not strong enough to car
- Page 92 and 93: 92 Many of the Workers in the Mines
- Page 94 and 95: 94 that 296,979 children aged betwe
- Page 96 and 97: 96 This case study covered two mine
- Page 98 and 99: 98 Traditional Forest Dwellers (Rec
- Page 100 and 101: 100 in the mine sites ekeing out a
- Page 102 and 103: 102 Conclusions Panna, once a rich
- Page 104 and 105: 104 Commission, Government of India
- Page 106 and 107: 106 The top five most mined distric
- Page 108 and 109: 108 There are several other content
- Page 110 and 111: 110 Table 2.11: Enrolment of childr
- Page 112 and 113: 112 companies for their power plant
- Page 114 and 115: 115 Jharkhand State Overview The st
- Page 116 and 117: 117 population who live in these fo
- Page 118 and 119: 119 around coal, but to also provid
- Page 120 and 121: 121 Status of Anganwadi Centres and
- Page 122 and 123: 123 due to multiple government duti
- Page 124 and 125: 125 Uranium Corporation of India Li
- Page 126 and 127: 128 farming and forestry. It is the
- Page 128 and 129: 130 attendance at birth, the high p
- Page 130 and 131: 132 were displaced for mining proje
- Page 132 and 133: 134 the impacts are visibly evident
- Page 134 and 135: 136 for construction and other indu
- Page 136 and 137: 138 Table 2.17: School enrolment da
- Page 138 and 139: 140 village also complained of cont
91<br />
land as more and more is acquired for mining and quarrying.<br />
The provision of healthcare and education in the mining<br />
areas was also found to be seriously lacking. Health centres<br />
without doctors and schools without teachers were frequent<br />
problems reported by the communities.<br />
As with other case study areas, an urgent comprehensive<br />
assessment of the status of children of mine workers, as well<br />
as of local communities, and the status of the institutional<br />
structures for children have to be immediately addressed<br />
in the state. A review of the nature and scale of mining in<br />
Rajasthan has to be urgently taken up so that indicators of<br />
Rajasthan’s growth are not just calculated from the trade in<br />
stones but also from the human development, and especially<br />
child development indicators which are in a shameful state<br />
in mining affected Rajasthan.<br />
(Acknowledgements: The above case study was done in<br />
partnership with MLPC, Jodhpur which is working for the<br />
rights of mine workers in the villages from where the data<br />
was collected.)
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