Labour camps ‘exposed’

State-wide checks as part of Safe Kerala public health drive

The Health, Labour, Police and Local Self-Government Departments which conducted joint inspections of migrant labour camps, both work and lodging sites, across the State have found most camps to be in a shocking state of squalor, unfit for human or even animal habitation and potential sources of public health hazard.

The inspections were held as part of the Safe Kerala public health drive, an initiative of the Health Department to prevent and check infectious disease outbreaks. Inspections were held in 8,718 locations and nearly 79,000 migrant labourers were found to be working in all these sites. Notices were issued to 1,896 firms running labour camps and 23 labour camps were closed down.