Children join parents as labourers at brick kilns
Hundreds of children hailing from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have joined their parents as labourers in brick kilns in Bharatpur, according to complaints received by the child welfare committee.
There are more than 80 brick kilns in the district and workers are getting ₹500 for making 1,000 bricks. “We are receiving complaints related to child labourers at brick kilns under sub-division Weir,” child welfare committee chairman Saroj Lohiya said.
“Eight children were rescued from there in 2016. A joint team of the committee and police will conduct an operation soon against brick kilns, where children are working,” Lohiya said.
When contacted, labourers said their target was to manufacture 1,000-1,500 bricks in a day and they do this with the help of their family members.
Mallo Jatav, who hails from Adeen village in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura, said: “We are not capable to send our children to school. How will we earn if kids will go to school.”
Prema Koli from Dheendaut village in Haryana said, “We come here with our children to work for eight months in a year. Children help us in work and they also earn ₹100-₹200 daily.”
According to the labourers, they are landless and have no other source of livelihood. “Government can make policies for labourers and their children. But it failed to provide us employment,” Jatav said.