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Silicosis a major health concern in Jharkhand
- Jharkhand is known as a mineral State; more than 15,000 mines are operational. These, identified as potentially crystalline silica-exposed areas, are mostly operating without any dust control measures.
- Silicosis, the oldest known occupational disease due to inhaling particles of silica, has made the lives of the workers more vulnerable.
- Parana Murmu (35), a former stone crusher ailing from silicosis, said: “We worked in the stone-crushing unit as we don't have any other option for our livelihood. Now, after 3 years of stone-crushing, I am unable to lift things, work, walk, run or perform any of my regular activities. A thick layer of dust covers the whole village due to mining and stone-crushing. As the villagers are affected, the factory owner has hired migrant workers to work in the stone-crushing factory.”
- Silicosis can be caused by a minimum of seven microns of silica dust. It causes fibrosis and disfiguring of lungs with non-functional fibrous tissue, eventually becoming Pulmonary Massive Fibrosis (PMF).
- Most doctors in the region lack awareness about silicosis and fail to diagnose the patients correctly; this has aggravated the situation.
- The workers of this unit are never registered with Employee State Insurance (ESI)
- According to a WHO report, the average life span of those working in stone-crushing mines is 33 years. It has been also reported that 56 per cent of the mine workers are affected with silicosis.
- The mining and crushing units in Musabani have now shifted to an adjoining area. People from Kendadi, despite being aware of the hazards of mining and quarrying, still go the new mining areas and suffer as their predecessors did in Musabani since they do not possess any other work skills.
- The organisation accused the government of categorising these workers under the unorganised sector and not providing them any kind of compensation.
