Jaipur | Jun 23, 2016: The Rajasthan State Human Rights Commission's (RSHRC) pioneering efforts to provide solace to silicosis victims in state have garnered appreciation at the national level. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has accepted it as a model programme in silicosis prevention and management for other states. Silicosis is an incurable occupational lung disease caused by inhalation of dust containing free crystalline silica. A large number of workers engaged in mining, construction, gem cutting and polishing, ceramics, slate/pencil, glass manufacture are at the risk of developing the disease.
The issue caught the attention of government after RSHRC took suo motu cognizance of the problem of silicosis in 2012 and found that in Rajasthan the problem was much more serious than anticipated.
It was followed by the Jaipur bench of Rajasthan High Court taking cognizance of the issue through a PIL on silicosis on July 10 last year and started monitoring the implementation of the 59 recommendations contained in the Special Report of RSHRC by Dr M K Devarajan, member, and RSHRC and to assist it in monitoring actions taken by the Central and state governments. The intervention by RSHRC has resulted in several concrete actions on the state government.
Silicosis/asbestosis affected mineworkers were given ex-gratia payment of Rs 1 lakh, and further Rs 3 lakh if deceased, through the district collector by Rajasthan Environment and Health Administrative Board (REHAB). So far, REHAB and Rajasthan Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board (BOCW) have sanctioned over Rs 40 crore, he said.
Similarly, in place of just one Pneumoconiosis Board at Jaipur to certify silicosis victims, seven such boards, one in each government medical college, were constituted in 2013 and in December 2014. It has now been decided to set up Pneumoconiosis Board in each of the 33 districts and most of these boards have become functional.
In a first-of-its-kind move, Rajasthan had declared silicosis as a notified disease under the Rajasthan Epidemic Diseases Act, 1957, on January 22, 2015.
On preventive side, state government has also started suspending/cancelling leases of mine owners who do not practice wet drilling, register the mineworkers and whose mines are not registered with director general of mines safety (DGMS). More than 200 quarry licences have been cancelled so far for violation of statutory provisions relating to prevention of dust emission, said Devarajan.
The state government had also constituted REHAB in 2008 to formulate and implement policies relating to health and environmental issues in mining areas. A corpus of Rs 500.34 crores collected so far through a cess on major minerals has been used for upgrading medical facilities for detection and relief and welfare measures for silicosis victims, IEC activities, studies and research, etc.
Another notable achievement is the notification of 'The District Mineral Foundation Trust Rules, 2016' to 'work for the interest and benefit of persons and areas affected by mining operations' in the district. It is estimated that the trust funds collected through a cess on major and minor minerals will be Rs 1,000 crore per annum.
Besides, Rajasthan government has included the dependents of those who died of silicosis/asbestosis and to whom ex-gratia payments have been made in the 'Bhamashah Yojana' - a state government digital platform for delivery of all government services to the beneficiaries. This will make them eligible for free treatment in enlisted hospitals.
(Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)