How UP top brass exploits children

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Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh): Two decades ago, the Government had banned child labour in the brassware industry of Moradabad.

However, manufacturers managed to find loopholes in the law and began to outsource their work to families and so today, children of the families to which work is being outsourced can still be found working at brass furnaces.

Take for example 12-year old Rahil who spends nine hours a day at a brass furnace in Moradabad. He is one of the thousands of child workers in the famous brassware industry of Moradabad.

"The smoke stings my eyes and makes them ache," says he.

Locals say that almost every casting unit uses children to turn the wheel. As the wheel turns, the furnace temperature is maintained, but the child is subjected to fumes and smoke which causes respiratory diseases and tuberculosis.

Says ASK SANKALP Programme Officer, Arif Ahmed Khan, "There are more than around 18,000 children working for these furnaces and another 20,000 - 25,000 who are involved in casting and scrapping processes."

And what do these children get for this kind of exposure?

"I get Rs 15 per day," says Rahil.

However, Rahil is experienced and so gets Rs 15. Newly recruited child workers earn much less.

Says another child worker Sayeed, "I earn around Rs 7 per day - nearly Rs 50 per week."

The brassware industry in Moradabad was declared hazardous for child workers two decades ago, but it continues to exploit children, making a turnover of about Rs 3,000 crore every year.