Ramya (name changed) is about 13 years of age in her eighth Standard. She is a native of Chirala in Andhra Pradesh and migrated along with parents to Kondapur near Sangareddy. Both the parents work in brick kiln and they brought her as they could not leave her at home.
She was recently rescued by CARPED, an NGO working on child rights, and she told the rescue team ‘Thank you’ and happily boarded the vehicle. She is happy that she will get educated.
Ramya was not directly hired by the brick kiln owner as he could not do so. He hired the parents and she was came along with them ‘as a package’. She works to assist her parents and which indirectly increases the productivity there by benefiting the owner as well as parents partly.
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It is estimated that there are about 120 registered brick kilns in the district located at Jinnaram, Malkapur, Ismailkhanpet, Zaheerabad and Veldurthi. None of the brick kiln owners provide basic minimum facilities like safe drinking water, proper accommodation, toilets or bathrooms.
The workers have to fend for themselves to attend nature’s call. The accommodation of these migrant labourers are so small that one cannot stand inside those rooms.
The migrants are mostly from East, West Godavari and Srikakulam districts of Andhra Pradesh and parts of Odisha. There is discrimination even in the advance money being offered to the labourers hired by the owners. While they pay about Rs. 80,000 to Rs. 1 lakh for a labourer from Andhra Pradesh, it is half of that for those coming from Odisha.
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In the past one week five children were rescued from the brick kilns by the representatives of CARPED.
“We failed to rescue one girl while five children were rescued and shifted to safe places. These brick kilns were harmful for children and lactating mothers. We came across lactating mothers but not pregnant women. Those working at that place may face respiratory problems due to fine dust,” said M.S. Chandra, Director, CARPED.