A
recent report of the Rajasthan
State Human
Rights Commission making
far-ranging recommendations
to check highly fatal and
debilitating silicosis, has once
again drawn attention towards
the gravity of the situation
and the urgent need to
take measures to prevent it.
Silicosis is a
fibrotic lung
disorder caused by inhalation,
retention and pulmonary
reaction to crystalline
silica, as a result of exposure
during mining, stone crushing
and quarrying activities.
The most common form of
silica is quartz. Exceptionally
high exposure of silica can
cause silicosis within a month
with a significant impairment
of lungs within few years. The
major silicosis prone industries
are: stone quarries and
crushers; quartz mining;
foundries; sand blasting; ceramics;
gem cutting and polishing;
slate and pencil;
construction; mining; and
glass manufacturing.
As per the report of Indian
Council for Medical Research
(1999), about 30 lakh workers
in India are at a high risk of
exposure to silica. Out of
these, 17 lakh are in mining/
quarrying activities, 6.3 lakh
in glass and mica industry
and 6.7 lakh in metals industry.
In addition, 53 lakh construction
workers are also at
the risk of silica exposure. Experts
say this number could
be much more as detection is
low and is often diagnosed
and treated for tuberculosis
which aggravates the situation
for the patients.
Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya
Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi
and Karnataka are some of
the worst affected States. The
potential victims are poor migrant
workers employed as
casual labourers who suffer
or die for lack of specialised
treatment.
Way back in 2011, the National
Human Rights Commission
(NHRC) tabled a
Special report to Parliament
of India on silicosis – first of
its kind – and said failure of
the government to provide
health facilities was a violation
of human rights while
suggesting that the government
should ensure health
care to all workers employed
at places prone to silica and
earmark adequate compensation
to the families in the case
of death.
“The NHRC is of the view
that the occupational hazard
of silicosis is preventable if
the working conditions are
property regulated and proper
warning and protective
equipments are used. Once a
worker or any other person is
afflicted by silicosis it becomes
a constitutional obligation
on part of the State to
take appropriate short-term
and long-term measures from
the point of view of providing
medical facilities and rehabilitation
of the victims,” the report
said.
The Commission has prepared
a set of recommendations
for prevention,
treatment and rehabilitation
of silicosis patients including
the use of modern technology
to prevent the disease, regular
health check-ups for
workers — whether regular,
contractual or daily wagers —
at places where they are exposed
to silica and even linking
silica treatment with the
TB Control Programme.
In addition to suggesting
legislative protection for silicosis
patients, the special report
had also recommended
automatic compensation for
the victims and social security
cover to those at risk. Further,
it had called for
amending legal provisions
like the Mines Act, Factories
Act, Workman's Compensation
Act and the ESI Act to
bring under their purview
those at risk of silicosis and
stricter implementation of
the existing laws.
However, there has been
very little implementation of
these recommendations as
well as the existing laws, both
at the Centre and the State
level, putting lakhs of workers
employed in these hazardous
jobs at risk.
