Wanaparthy: Brick kiln owners are bringing laborer families from other regions for the management of brick kilns, neglecting their welfare. While they fail to provide even basic facilities for the workers, they show no concern for their children. Young children, who should be in school, are forced into labour, moving further away from education. Children under the age of six, who should be attending Anganwadi centres, are left with their parents, resulting in a lack of nutritious food. This situation is prevalent in several brick kilns located in the Kuthavettu area of the Pebberu mandal in Wanaparthi district.

Ignoring Regulations

There are approximately 350 to 400 brick kilns across the district. Workers from Odisha, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and other regions migrate here for six to eight months to work. Depending on capacity, each kiln employs between 20 to 100 workers. It is essential for these workers to be provided with basic amenities, and their children should have access to education. For workers from other states, a teacher should be appointed to teach the local language. Rooms should be allocated for teaching, but despite having school boards in place, classes are not conducted. During inspections of some kilns in the Pebberu mandal, it was observed that school boards were merely decorative and not functional.

Living Conditions

Brick kiln owners are showing negligence in providing minimum facilities for the workers. Instead of housing them in clean, well-ventilated areas, they are forced to live in makeshift bamboo huts. While the establishment of bathing and toilet facilities is mandatory, there are no toilets available anywhere.

Legal Actions

The responsibility to ensure that the children of workers do not stray from education lies with the owners. If children are made to work, legal action is supposed to be taken. Although the district labor department officials are present, there have been no recorded cases so far. Additionally, while revenue police officials travel daily from Pebberu to Wanaparthi, there are no records of any action taken despite the proximity to the roads. Local residents criticize that unless district officials and revenue and police authorities take action, such practices will continue unabated.