24 people working in stone-crushing units die of the disease Visit the small village of Musabani in Jharkhand and you hear heart-rending stories of people involved in mining. Situated near National Highway 33 close to Jamshedpur, Musabani drew public attention recently as 24 people died due to silicosis here. The village has been an active mining area with a large number of stone crushers that work for the K.K. Mineral factory and its sister factories. 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.” Each household of Kendadi and Musabani has similar stories to recount. “About 35 cases have been reported in Musabani village. 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). This stage is reached after considerable exposure,” said Dr. T.K. Mohanty, a chest specialist. 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), and the government hospitals in Jharkhand do not have designated centres to diagnosis silicosis, added Dr. Mohanty. 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. Asked about the medical facility, Murmu replied: “Doctors prescribe medicines for tuberculosis to patients suffering from respiratory problems. I was prescribed three courses of tuberculosis medicines but was never treated for the disease I am suffering from. This goes on for everyone who suffers from silicosis in Musabani.” When The Hindu enquired about the mobile medical, it was found that the van never visited this village. No monitoring report is available at the worksite. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has summoned the Jharkhand government to explain the reason for the delay in providing compensation and rehabilitation to the silicosis victims. The NHRC also enquired why the factory had a no-objection certification from the government though it violated the Industry Regulation Act. 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. Samit Carr, Secretary-General of Occupational Safety & Health Association of Jharkhand (OSHAJ), a non-profit organisation, working in this area said: “In Jharkhand about 25-30 lakh workers are affected by silicosis. As silicosis victims mostly belong to tribes, Dalit communities and other weaker sections of society, their plight is ignored by the government. The worst victims in mining areas are children as they are compelled to live in distress when their earning parents die.” Describing the mining situation, Mr. Carr said: “The factory does not take preventive measures to check silica dust pollution in a bid to save on electricity and maintenance expenditures.” According to OSHAJ, 30 workers have died in Kendadi and Musabani villages since 2002 -2011 because of silicosis. Many more are ailing. The organisation accused the government of categorising these workers under the unorganised sector and not providing them any kind of compensation. It explained that since all the dust generating units are in rural areas, the workers are not registered with the government concerned. But the mining lease is provided to the established unit (crushers, plants, processing units, etc.) from the mining and district industrial board while NOC from the State pollution control board and electricity from the State electricity supply corporation are also sanctioned. Thus, if the workers of the dust generating units are not registered, the government cannot claim the units belonging to the unorganised sector,” he added.