NHRC seeks comments from Guj, MP govts in quartz unit labourers

New Delhi, May 28 (UNI) The National Human Rights Commission has sought comments within four weeks from the Chief Secretaries of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh on the plight of labourers working in quartz units in the former.

Taking suo-motu cognizance of a news report which appeared in captioned ''Silicosis Silently Killing Hundreds in MP Villages'', the Commission said it is a serious issue of violation of human rights of the labourers employed in quartz units in Gujarat.

According to the report, the family members (wife, elder brother and two sisters) of one Kailash, member of Bhil tribe and a resident of a village in Kukshi block of Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh, had died of silicosis.

The report alleged that hundreds of other Bhil tribals of Jhabua and Dhar district of MP had been suffering from the disease and were awaiting their death.

''As per a survey conducted in 2007 by a group of doctors in 21 villages of Jhabua, 158 people were found dead of silicosis and 266 others suffering from the disease,'' it added.

In addition, 28 people had died of silicosis in village Rordha.

The report alleged that the tribals were taken to work at quartz crushing units of Gujarat as unregistered daily wagers.

During quartz crushing, the labourers take in dust which causes incurable disease, Silicosis.

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