Living Condition of Migrant Workers in the Himalayas
Migrant Workers in Himalayas Migrant road & dam workers in Himalayas are people belonging to landless and poor families and socially deprived groups, coming from lowland India; they live in encampments at road and dam construction sites in the high altitude Himalayas. Moti Devi (23, India): We live in very bad conditions and cannot avail any health facility, and my child cannot attend school. Also we do not get compensated for working overtime. Meena Devi (20; Nepal): We live in the most inhuman conditions, with no facilities for health care.
Their Living Conditions Lack of accommodation Illiteracy, abject poverty, pathetic conditions of health, safety and sanitation, and absolutely no access to basic rights and mainstream services, characterize a migrant worker camp in the Himalayas. Lack of sufficient clothing and food Living conditions of migrant workers Insecurities, violence and crime Lack of drinking water, hygiene & sanitation Lack of healthcare facilities
Accommodation Facilities Harsh, crowded, difficult, unsafe and inhuman living conditions Rudimentary makeshift encampments made of secondhand corrugated iron sheets, boulders, rags and polythene sheets Lack of ventilation and protection against inclement weather According to the Building and Other Construction Workers' (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996, the temporary accommodation provided shall have separate cooking place, bathing, washing and lavatory facilities.
Clothing and Food Supply Major source of food supply are nearest villages which are usually several kilometers away Irregular, insufficient food supply, especially in winter months Lack of sufficient warm clothing and blankets Sangeeta Devi (20, India): It is very cold here and our shelters don t give us much protection from the weather. I cannot afford to buy any warm clothes for myself and my child. We also do not get any safety equipment or health facility.
Drinking Water Availability Limited access to clean, potable water, impact their health, resulting in endemic levels of water-borne illnesses. Water supplied is from nearby streams and rivers; same is used for drinking, cooking and other domestic purposes. No facilities for filtration; water is stored in unhygienic vessels which are seldom covered and exposed to dust and impurities. Faced by insufficient water supply from BRO, they often have to travel for miles. According to the Building and Other Construction Workers' (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996, the employer shall make in every place where building or other construction work is in progress, effective arrangements to provide and maintain at suitable points conveniently situated for all persons employed therein, a sufficient supply of wholesome drinking water.
Lack of Sanitation Facilities Unhygienic, infested with mosquitoes, rats, other pests and characterized by squalor. Lack of toilet and bathroom facilities; workers have to defecate and bath in the open. Defecation areas near water sources increasing the risk of water borne diseases. According to the Building and Other Construction Workers' (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996, drinking water points are supposed to be at least six meters away from any washing place, urinal or latrine. They should be such types as may be prescribed and they should be conveniently situated as may be accessible to the building workers at all times while they are in such place.
Health Hazards Road and dam workers face severe health issues because of unhygienic living conditions and occupational hazards. There is irregular and insufficient medical and healthcare facilities. Proximity of garbage dumping and defecation area near water sources increases risk of water borne diseases; Lack of sufficient bathing and cleaning leads to skin and eye diseases. High exposure to fumes and stone dust leads to very high incidence (>70%) of diseases of upper respiratory tract like TB, asthma, silicosis; Recurrent gastric problems result from drinking contaminated water. Hazardous work carried out without use of little or no protective gears frequently maiming workers; compounded by lack of timely medical attention, this can be very fatal.
Difficulties for Women & Children Women workers have to complete their work and also carry out domestic duties; thus doubly burdening them. Lack of basic facilities like toilets, covered bathing areas, healthcare facilities, especially during pregnancy and child birth etc. is inconvenient for women workers. Not entitled to any leaves, even during childbirth and after childbirth and if leaves are taken pay is deducted; because of this they are forced to return to work as soon as possible without proper rest which severely affects their health negatively. Lack of vaccination facilities for newborn and children in camps; they have to travel to nearest villages for getting children immunized.
Insecurities and Vulnerabilities Migrants are inherently vulnerable as subjects of human rights from the time they leave home to initiate their migration. Lack of area knowledge, detachment from families and traditional support systems. Regarded as outsiders in the area they are deprived of basic rights like health care and other welfare facilities. Exploited by employers, anti-social elements and locals. Casual nature of employment, recruitment by exploitative middlemen and gaps in regulatory systems in unorganized sector. Women more vulnerable to inappropriate gestures and unfairness from contractors and other workers failing to comply to their demands.
Lack of Other Facilities Due to the remoteness and mobile nature of their lives, migrant workers in high altitude Himalayas are unserved by state services; the services provided by construction companies are also inadequate. Complete communications breakdown, leaves workers without basic supplies and rations. Road or dam worker camps are as much as 50 kms from nearest school. Lack of formal childcare service; children accompany their mothers exposing them to hazardous substances. Health centres remain unstaffed ; there are also no insurance in the case of death
Lack of Other Facilities According to the Building and Other Construction Workers' (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996, the employer shall provide in all the place where building or other construction work is carried on such first-aid facilities. Also in those camps where more than fifty female building workers are employed, there should be a suitable room or rooms for the use of children under the age of six years of such female workers. Parvati Devi (46, India): We are poor people. Therefore we have to live in these inhuman conditions. We don t get clean water to drink and our children do not get enough food nor can they go to school. It is only me and my god who can protect my child. Without the safety kits and helmets, I always feel that my life is in danger. It is only to earn money to feed my child that I undertake this risk every day.
Accommodation Water availability Clothing and food Case Studies from Kinnaur Migrant worker camp in Kirankhad, 44 kms away from Recong Peo. Total population is 147, which includes 66 males, 46 females, 19 infants (0-5 years) and 16 children (6-14 years). 26 shelters inhabited by 147 people resulting in mere 8 sq.ft per individuals 6 shelters made of tin sheets and 20 made of tarpaulin sheet No windows, ventilators and exhaust system; No kitchen No provision of electricity. Water for drinking and domestic purpose is from nearby river; Low water quality characterized by high turbidity with presence of chloride and nitrate ; No facility for filtration. Dirty threadbare clothes; Only 2 sets of clothing and inadequate warm clothing even in sub-zero temperature; Lack of blankets and warm clothes; For food, usually once a week trip is made to local village markets get required supplies.
Sanitation Health Lack of other facilities Case Studies from Kinnaur There are no toilets or bathrooms. People go in open to defecate. Small area in their house, covered with curtain, is used by women as bathing area. Nearest PHC 4 kms away and nearest hospital 44 kms away; Around 22% of the camp population is suffering from URTI, 20.5% from injuries and wounds, 12.6% from skin infections, 10.3% from fever, 12.6% from GIT, 5.7% from chronic weakness and 15 % from other illnesses. No provision for crèche; 16 out of 19 infants accompany mother to work site; Nearest school 4 kms away; 6 out of 16 children go to school; Insufficient availability of safety equipments
Case Studies from Kinnaur Rinchen Dolma. Rethakhand Camp, Kinnaur Rinchen s family originally come from Nepal. She has been coming to Kinnaur to work as a migrant worker for the past 18 years. Though her family has been living here for fifteen years, but they still don t have even basic facilities in the camps. The camp have no running water or toilet facilities. Children staying in the camp face a lot of difficulties in getting admission to local schools because of lack of official documents. Buddha Deva - Migrant Roadworker, Kinnaur Buddha Deva is 48 years old and has worked for the past 25 years as a seasonal migrant road-worker. When he first came here from his home in Jharkhand he found it difficult to adjust. After his wife s death, he was forced to looking after four young children on his own as well as work to earn his livelihood as all his savings were spent on his wife s medical care. He himself suffers from chronic back pain and frequent chest infections.
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