ighly urbanised States such as Delhi and Maharashtra are among the worst urban centres for children with crimes against them having registered a significant rise. There was a 24 per cent increase in crimes against children between 2010 and 2011 and a further 52.5 per cent increase from 2012 to 2013. The girl child is especially affected due to the proliferation of sex work in cities.
A higher-than-average crime rate clearly means that children in the cities are not only victims to such violence but also are in the danger of becoming a part of organised crime rackets, especially when faced with disruption in schooling and lack of parental care, according to a report released by PwC and Save the Children on Friday.
With every fourth child in India (27.4 per cent of total children) living in urban areas, the report, ‘Forgotten Voices: the world of urban children in India,’ has done a reality check on the situation of urban children as varying patterns of migration to cities across India make them increasingly vulnerable to a variety of risks. The report was released by Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Home Affairs.
Ill-health, poor access to water and sanitation, insufficient education, urban disasters and lack of protection continue to plague urban children from the disadvantaged section, noted the report. It also indicated that children living in slums are 1.3 times more likely to suffer from diarrhoea than in non-slum areas.
“Though the urban population in India has better access to sanitation, coverage is failing to keep up with the population growth — one in five households in India do not have a household toilet.”
Rising prevalence of child obesity, especially in the middle and upper-middle classes is another problem highlighted in the report. Private schools of Delhi has 29 to 32 per cent of children (14-18 years) reporting as overweight.
Employing minors for jobs was highlighted as another set-back for children.
In India, where it is lucrative for employers to employ child workers since it is a cheaper option and labour laws are poorly implemented, the number of urban child workers in small and medium-scale hazardous industries, service establishments, and informal businesses is huge. A large number of children work as domestic helps.
In this segment, 70 per cent children reported physical abuse, slapping, kicking, burns, etc and 32.2 per cent reported sexual abuse.
Worse, the report indicates that the Disaster Management Act does not make any references to vulnerable groups, such as children. District disaster management plans do not provide age-disaggregated data.
Every eight urban child (0-6 years) lives in slums, often situated next to high-rises and swanky malls. “Keeping this in mind, a smart city cannot be a city meant for investors, tax-paying classes and gadget users only. It has to be a ‘city with a heart’, a city that is inclusive and just,” noted Deepak Kapoor, PwC India chairman.
“Urban schemes should be designed to address the specific needs of children and sufficient budgets should be allocated for this,” he added.
