Many workers in Indian stone quarries, including children, dying of incurable lung disease to produce garden and kitchen tiles
By Rina Chandran
BUDHPURA, India, May 9 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Amid the ancient forts and stunning palaces of India's Rajasthan state is a less alluring sight: hundreds of workers in stone quarries, many dying of silicosis from cutting and polishing the sandstone tiles that adorn gardens and patios here and abroad.
Much of the sandstone used in kitchen counter tops and as cobblestones comes from the state's Kota and Bundi districts, where workers toil under extreme conditions, with hardly any protective gear and for very little money.
About half the state's 2 million mine workers suffer from silicosis or other respiratory diseases, according to labour rights campaigners.
Although there is no comprehensive data, hundreds, possibly thousands, have died of silicosis, an incurable lung disease caused by long-term exposure to silica dust given off in the mining and processing of sandstone and limestone.
Read article in full: http://news.trust.org/item/20160509120656-r8djg
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Replies
Who is dying for a new Indian sandstone patio this summer?
http://www.landscapejuice.com/2016/05/who-is-dying-for-a-new-indian...
Thanks for the heads up and the news. Only our buying power will change things.
The scary thing is Daniela UK importers dont actually have that much buying power. Of all the stone quarried in Rajasthan, 95% is destined for the local market. That leaves 5% for the rest of the world, never mind the tiny quantity bound for the UK. This gives us in the UK very little leverage farther down the supply chain at quarry level. The condition for workers at the top of the supply chain in India is very good but as you go farther down the supply chain visibility and leverage decreases and invariably conditions worsen. This lack of leverage makes it extremely difficult to effect change lower down in the supply chain. Having said that, lots of work is being done on the ground by local organisations to tackle Silicosis. This is being supported by work from the ETI and their members and also by TFT who are starting to make in-roads into the quarries. Things are happening over there but any progress will be medium to long term
That's really interesting Steve, I never appreciated how 'small' our market was in comparison - I guess we all like to think we are the centre of the world and there must be a lot of space in India that needs paving !
Still keep up the good work, tho ;)
That is the perception Gary. London Stone are extremely proud to be involved with some of the work being done in India. I think the whole landscape industry should be proud of the UK' s stone suppliers and the efforts they go to to improve conditions for workers. Marshalls led the way but there are loads of other companies who work quietly on this. Pavestone, Brett, Hardscape, CED, Bradstone.
238 deaths later, silicosis is still the killer in Godhra’s quarries
http://landscapejuicenetwork.com/forum/topics/238-deaths-later-sili...
Let's hope that some of the initiatives being seen by Suppliers such London Stone's Children4Schools , Marshalls / Unicef etc start to turn the use of child labour (and potential longer term illnesses in them) around along with the industry enforcing safer working conditions being part of contractual obligations.
Also strongly believe the industry and it's practitioner's (ie you and me) need to do our bit by questioning the supply chain / source of paving as what they are doing to protect children and workers....
Or we just sit back and accept status quo ....
Many people in the landscape industry will know that child labour is a problem for the Indian stone industry. Many UK companies have talked openly about dealing with the issue via such vehicles as the Ethical Trade Initiative and the UN.
I would hazard a guess that next to zero landscape and design practitioners are aware of the problems caused by stone dust. I am staggered at the estimated numbers of Indian quarry workers who're afflicted by silicosis and tuberculosis.
I am equally staggered and shocked at the number of reported deaths from silicosis and tuberculosis.
The only way to educate people is to have an open discussion, however hard it is for those involved in the supply chain, so as to educate as many people as possible as to what is happening within the Indian stone industry.
If 238 people in the UK - and I'd not be surprised if the real tally is much much higher - were to have perished to unsafe working practises there would have been a massive public outcry, not to mention prosecutions and jail sentences.
But surely that 'outcry' must also enimate from within the home market - ie India ?
Yes, if in the UK there would be an outcry but with such wide and varied supply chain/route to a world wide market, 'our' ability to directly influence is somewhat limited...?
A softly softly approach as London Stone implies seem sensible as we could cut off our noses to spite our faces and the market goes elsewhere - may be to and end user marketplace that has no scruples
I disagree Gary
It's outside influences and politics that will drive faster change. It doesn't matter how small the UK influence is - although I think there's a likelihood that with companies with influence such as Marshalls behind any political pressure can create significant leverage - it doesn't mean the UK market should leave it to others to initiate change.
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