Children in the age group of five to 14 working in mines are exposed to numerous health hazards which cut short their life, says a report. It also says that children carry the burden of parents’ illness who generally suffer from tuberculosis, silicosis, pulmonary fibrosis, and asbestosis. “Children are digging diamonds but they do not have food to eat,” says Enakshi Ganguly Thukral, co-director of HAQ: Centre for Child Rights.

“It has a severe impact on the nutrition status of children, and the population displaced by coal mining in Urimari, Jharkhand, child malnutrition rates are high,” states the report prepared by the NGO. It also elaborates that the Adivasi and tribal children are worst affected as mining are mainly carried out in tribal belt.

The report, ‘India’s Childhood in the Pits’, released on Monday in New Delhi reveals that children continue to work in the mining industries which are hazardous even as the constitution prohibits the employment of children below the age of 14 in factories, mines or hazardous occupations. The report based on collection of primary data and information from states such as Jharkhand, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Karnataka suggests that children have no access to education and safe drinking water.

“It is not only that children are only found working in illegal mine sites, the public and private sector industries are equally to be blamed, as their contractors also employ young kids below the age of 14,” says Bhanumathi Kalluri, co-author of the report. “Though it is difficult to accurately estimate the number of children working, it can be said that at least a few lakh children are illegally forced into mining activities,” Kalluri added.

“The report on children working in mines should reach hearts and minds of this country so that it generates required policies to tackle such menace,” says Shantha Sinha, former chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights.

The report prepared by Delhi based NGOs HAQ: Centre for Child Rights, Samata in partnership with Mines, Minerals and People, demanded that the union government should immediately recognise that children are impacted by mining in a number of ways and enquire into the magnitude of exploitation of children.

“The government is trying a way out to counter such problems,” said Santha Sheela Nair, secretary, mines ministry, who spoke on the release of the report.