ISLAMABAD: National Party (NP) president Senator Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo has urged the government of Punjab not to close brick kilns as it will affect the labour class which already is in a deep financial crisis.

Punjab had taken the decision to close brick kilns for 70 days because of the looming smog.

Any decrease in mercury level increases humidity in air which dissolves chemicals such as carbon and sulphur and these after getting mixed with dust takes the form of smog.

Smog in the air upon entering the lungs of a person is capable of causing a number of diseases such as eye nose and chest problems.

Mr Bizenjo said that experts had estimated that kilns here were contributing only four per cent of the impact as compared to 25 per cent impact that Indian kilns were producing. It was the responsibility of the government to implement the technology of internal zig-zag structure ahead of the smog season, instead of closing down the kilns.

“Brick kiln workers are around 4.5 to 7 million and belong to the most marginalised segment of society and also deprived of basic amenities like education, health, wages and accommodation. They live at the brick kiln (Bhatta) in one of the worst conditions experienced by humanity on the earth,” he said.

Senator Bizenjo urged the government of Punjab to implement “Elimination of Child and Bonded Labour Project” in letter and spirit, according to which the survey of brick kiln workers and data compilation was supposed to be completed but nothing had been done yet.

According to him, a model crises centre should be established in each district for brick kiln women in line with the one already functioning in Multan district where a victim woman is provided the facilities of prosecutor, shelter, medical officer, FIR registration and a magistrate, all under one roof, and where cases are decided in three months. Keeping in view the problems being faced by kiln workers where both state and society had conveniently abdicated its role, a separate office of Mohtasib for bounded labourers must be established at the earliest, he demanded.

“Majority of brick kiln workers do not have computerised national identity cards. Even they don’t have family tree due to moving from places to places and having no birth certificates which is a major hurdle to getting registered with the National Database and Registration Authority,” he said.

They are thus deprived of registration with the Social Security Department.

Keeping in view that brick kilns were hazardous place, therefore the age limit of people working there should be 18 years, in according to the ILO Convention 182.

Taking to Dawn, Mr Bizenjo said that the brick kiln labours were suffering since decades and no one had ever given attention to them.

“They are also suffering in Sindh as they can’t leave brick kilns without the approval of feudal lords,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2018

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