Stakeholders Meeting on Concerns on Impact of Mining on Women and Children
Ms Santha Sheela Nair, Secretary, Ministry of Mines, held a high level brainstorming session with regulatory Ministries of Central Government and stakeholders, including Industry, Civil Rights Groups and NGOs, to ascertain the incidence of occupational diseases like Siderosis in mining areas, evolving mechanisms for identifying the impact of mining activities on women and children in mining areas and the remedies available under various laws for amelioration of harmful impact. As per sources in the Ministry of Mines, the meeting was held as a follow up to media reports on diseases alleged among children in mining areas due to spillages in transportation of iron ore Fines, and NGO reports on impact of mining on Children. It was decided in the meeting that National Institute of Miner’s Health, National Institute of Occupational Health, DGMS and concerned agencies would conduct a pilot study in Jharkhand to assess the impact of iron ore mining on people in the mining areas. The study would also cover the crusher units operating in mining areas of Jharkhand, which are alleged to be the greatest source of pollution since they are poorly regulated by the State Governments. This report would be published in six months time. Recognising that children and women in mining areas suffer from morbidity and malnutrition due to high rate of displacement, it was held that proper implementation of law and various schemes was necessary in the mining areas. FIMI, representing the Industry, agreed that many of the CSR activities of the mining companies could be coordinated along with the existing schemes of the Government to increase effectiveness. The Ministry would monitor the situation on quarterly basis.
Ms Santha Sheela Nair, Secretary, Ministry of Mines, held a high level brainstorming session with regulatory Ministries of Central Government and stakeholders, including Industry, Civil Rights Groups and NGOs, to ascertain the incidence of occupational diseases like Siderosis in mining areas, evolving mechanisms for identifying the impact of mining activities on women and children in mining areas and the remedies available under various laws for amelioration of harmful impact. As per sources in the Ministry of Mines, the meeting was held as a follow up to media reports on diseases alleged among children in mining areas due to spillages in transportation of iron ore Fines, and NGO reports on impact of mining on Children. It was decided in the meeting that National Institute of Miner’s Health, National Institute of Occupational Health, DGMS and concerned agencies would conduct a pilot study in Jharkhand to assess the impact of iron ore mining on people in the mining areas. The study would also cover the crusher units operating in mining areas of Jharkhand, which are alleged to be the greatest source of pollution since they are poorly regulated by the State Governments. This report would be published in six months time. Recognising that children and women in mining areas suffer from morbidity and malnutrition due to high rate of displacement, it was held that proper implementation of law and various schemes was necessary in the mining areas. FIMI, representing the Industry, agreed that many of the CSR activities of the mining companies could be coordinated along with the existing schemes of the Government to increase effectiveness. The Ministry would monitor the situation on quarterly basis.
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