RailEnquiry

Jammu : It is a daily race for survival for child ragpickers at the Jammu railway station, as they not only scavenge garbage for a living but also face the constant threat to their lives from passing trains.While child begging and scavenging is banned under the law, hundreds of children, some as young as five, hunt for water bottles, polythene bags, cans and other leftovers by passengers.Arising at dawn, these children start their rounds of the railway platform bare feet, carrying heavy gunny bags containing the pickings of the day. All recyclable garbage is collected and sorted. “They fill their bags with paper, plastic, bottles, metals and discarded food thrown out by passengers. With their little earnings, they rush to the nearest wayside shop to ease their hunger. If the day’s collection is bad, they sometimes resort to stealing for survival,” says Nadeem Qadri, who runs an NGO.The railway authorities and the police seem to have ignored their presence at the platforms and failed to take steps to rehabilitate them. At times, they are exploited by organised gangs.The organic waste, if consumed, poses a serious threat to their lives due to the growth of microbial pathogens.“Direct handling of solid waste can also result in various types of infectious and chronic diseases,” said Dr Sujata Pandita, a city-based doctor. “Exposure to hazardous waste can affect human health. Children are more vulnerable to these pollutants,” she adds.Direct exposure to such waste can lead to diseases, as the release of chemical waste into the environment results in chemical poisoning.Many studies have been carried out in various parts of the world to establish a connection between health and hazardous waste.In the absence of strong laws, most children also indulge in begging. The railway officials were not available for comments.

LIFE ON THE LINE
Risk acquiring skin, blood infections due to direct contact with waste, and from infected wounds Eye, respiratory infections due to exposure to dust, especially during landfill operations Diseases resulting from bites of animals feeding on the waste Intestinal infections that are transmitted by flies feeding on the waste DAILY TOIL

Arising at dawn, these children, some as young as five, start their rounds of the railway platform bare feet, carrying heavy gunny bags containing the pickings of the day