After Haryana ban, illegal mining shifts to Sikar’s hills
Who’s The Quarry?

More than 400 active leases in the Sikar belt
1,200 trucks move out of Rajasthan Aravallis daily
In Dabla alone, 50 ha of land mined
Area has five small rivers, three clogged with sludge.

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Health facilities, adequate compensation must be provided

Taking a serious note of the increasing silicosis-related deaths in the country, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has recommended that silicosis be made a notifiable disease. Once notified, all government and private health facilities will have to report confirmed as well as suspected silicosis cases to the government.

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.

The health of hundreds of thousands of mine workers in India is in danger as several states have ignored the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) directives on prevention of silicosis, an incurable lung ailment.

"Despite all states being reminded and sent guidelines regarding this malady (silicosis), the overall picture is dismal as state governments are in denial mode," NHRC member P.C. Sharma told the media.

Almost 500 South African miners are seeking health-related compensation from Anglo American through a High Court lawsuit launched in London on Wednesday.

The multinational mining company faces claims related to silicosis, a lung disease associated with deep-level gold mining in South Africa.

IN NOVEMBER last year, the Supreme Court directed the Gujarat government to pay Rs 3 lakh each as compensation to the families of 238 tribal migrant workers from Madhya Pradesh who died of silicosis, a fatal respiratory disease caused by inhaling silica dust, while working in the state’s factories. The state government has refused to comply with the apex court’s order and made no effort to survey or acknowledge the deaths of tribals in villages of Gujarat from the same disease.

The Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) have long been declared a ghost town. Ever since the public sector Bharat Gold Mines Ltd (BGML) shut down operations in 2001, the whole area has worn a deserted look. That haunted aspect is getting more pronounced now with the mysterious and mass death of infants.

With majority of states yet to carry out a survey as recommended three years ago by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to find out the number of persons suffering from silicosis in their areas, the Commission took a serious view of the approach by various governments.

Deploring the

New Delhi: Ongoing public protests in Muzaffarpur over an upcoming asbestos plant have forced the district administration to impose Section 144 near the facility, forcing stoppage of work and preventing protesters from gathering near the site.

The use of asbestos, which is known to cause lung cancer and silicosis, is banned in many countries around the world, including Australia, New Zealan