The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Child labourers rescued from Mudigonda quarries

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Monday, Jul 21, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Child labourers rescued from Mudigonda quarries

Staff Reporter

Children preferred due to their low wages

Children between the age of 10 to 15 earn from Rs. 600 to Rs. 800 a month
When children are forced to quit, families shift to quarries in other districts

MUDIGONDA( Khammam dist): Some 40 children, working for long hours along with their parents in the stone quarries of Mudigonda, have been rescued and admitted to a special school being run under the national child-labour project. But many more in the age group of 10 to 15 are still being put to strenuous work such as crushing boulders into gravel and loading materials into tractors and lorries.

Despite efforts to enroll them into the special school, their parents are against pulling them out of work that fetches the family an extra income ranging from Rs. 600 to Rs. 800 a month. Children are reportedly preferred in some quarries because of the low wages paid to them.

Vulnerable

In certain cases, the parents take the blame for engaging their children in the quarries. The works are entrusted contract basis and hence every member of the family is expected to be at work. They do not mind the hazardous nature of the occupation. As they reside in the vicinity of the quarries, the children are become vulnerable to diseases also. If the children are forced to quit the quarries, families shift overnight to places like Kondapalli in Krishna district and Macherla in Guntur district in the hope of getting employment in similar quarries for all members of the family. Very few realise the need to educate their children and send them to schools.

Independent

Rajeswari, one of the students in second class at the Child labour project school, initially repented for not being able to help her parents at the quarry. She used to earn Rs. 600 a month by crushing boulders. Once she joined the school, she found it to be a better place than the quarry. She is no longer depending on her parents for her food. She is doing well in studies.

The district Collector, Shashibhushan Kumar had sent a pair of dresses for all the 40 children including the girl. She says she would prefers to study instead of going back to work. Her parents were also happy to find her well dressed in a new uniform. The teachers too were all praise for her. She is good in singing rhymes and mathematics.

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