SILICOSIS UPDATE:INDIA

Jagdish PatelPEOPLES TRAINING AND RESEARCH CENTRE

INDIA

ADVOCACY Representation at

National Human Rights Commission as member of Jan Swthya Abhiyan- a national campaign for universal health services and peoples health rights. The meeting held at New Delhi on January 6,2007 to review health situation, took serious note of Silicosis

ADVOCACY• Silicosis Victims Association

(Gems) visited local Member of Legislative Assembly and presented memorandum.

• Association members also visited District Collector and presented memorandum.

• On April 4, Association was invited by local representative of Collector for meeting. Later, Association presented its charter of demands to him.

• No action taken in this regard despite several reminders

ADVOCACY• Association wrote to the

Gems & Jewelry Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) to visit victims

• Association again wrote to the Council with copies to NHRC and Ministry of Commerce,Govt.of India. No reply from anywhere.

ADVOCACY• On 5-07-07 Labor Secretary

invited a meeting of all stake holders in which it was decided that top level delegation shall visit Khamabhat and Godhra in July. But no visit has taken place.

• Later, we separately called on Labor Secretary and presented demands in connection with Khamabhat demands. We also demanded implementation of legal provisions in stone crushing units.

Legal Action • A petition has been submitted by PRASAR, Delhi which has now been joined by Shilpi Kendra in Supreme Court of India. We are supporting the petition by giving our comments and information as & when needed.

• For compensation for Silicosis victims in Godhra, we have filed separate petition in Gujarat High Court which is being heard for admission.

Survey Outcomes• 350 Suspect Silicosis patients found in

23 villages of Jhalod taluka, 2 villages of Fatepura taluka and 1 village of Dahod taluka.

• Over 50 workers villages reported died of Silicosis.

• 97 workers have been examined by CHC. 15 found having silicosis or silico-tubercuosis. 10 found with TB. 12 needed repeat x-rays.

• 6 patients from 3 villages of Banswada district of Rajasthan also found.

• 7 deaths from one family in Banswada reported died of Silicosis.

Government Action

• 3 stone crushing units in Godhra and two in Balasinor have been ordered closure in 3ed week of July by Govt. of Gujarat.

• Govt. has fined several units in Khamabht for violating legal provisions.

• Now Govt. is proposing to amend the law to cover all the workers in Gems & Jewelry industry to cover under ambit of law by lowering the number of workers from 5 to 1.We protest this move as we feel that this would lead to clandestine work and menace of silicosis would cotinue.We demand changes in law to make the traders responsible.

CLINIC In collaboration with Krishna Hospital and P.S.Medical College, a clinic has been started at our office in Khambhat since June last.2 intern doctors have been placed while once in a week experts visit the clinic. PFT is carried out using PTRC spirometer in this clinic.Medicines are given at highly subsidized rates- Rs.5.

WELFARE

• We have continued with our efforts for preventing exposure to children in the age group of below 5 by Day Care Centre.

• We have also continued working with orphans and single parent child and widows.

TECHNOLOGICAL IMPROVEMENT

• Efforts for improvement in technology and cheaper solutions is also continued. There is some reduction in dust but the model still needs improvement and we are working on it.