“I myself worked in a quarry for 30 years. When I got silicosis, I had to leave my job. We were daily wage earners. I didn’t have enough money to sit at home for days. When I tried to fight this disease At that time, I started to lose my breath. After a while, he would get tired and start to pant. Then, after knowing everything, he would throw his own son into this death mine.
The 37-year-old only son passed away in April this year. About 3 years ago, his health deteriorated. Gradually, the cough got worse. When I went to the doctor, I was diagnosed with silicosis. Undergo treatment till Jaipur. In the past three years, my son has suffered a lot. When you cough, blood will flow from your mouth. As soon as these words came out, pain appeared in 63-year-old Raghubir’s voice and tears filled his eyes.
This story is not that of Raghubir alone, a resident of Dompura in Dholpur, 250 kilometers from New Delhi. It belongs to all those who carved the red sandstone installed in the New Parliament House and the Akshakesham Temple in Delhi, and the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Now the skill of the man who carved the stone has become the biggest reason for their death.
After the red sandstone is extracted from the mines, it is cut, milled and chiseled for use in construction. During these processes, silica-rich dust and its fine particles expelled from the stone pass through the worker’s nose and reach the lungs. As a result, they develop a disease called silicosis. Currently, a large number of workers working in quarries have died due to this disease in dozens of areas such as Delpur, Karauli, Dasa, and Pali in Rajasthan.
According to information published on the Rajasthan government’s pneumoconiosis portal, the state has received 931 applications from 100,000 to 76,000 so far. 22,000 people have been diagnosed and 541 people have silicosis, and certificates have been issued. 7834 applications have been rejected. The rest of the time, the action continued.
In Dholpur alone, 31,000 people, 168, have registered silicosis certificates so far, of whom 1,498 have obtained certificates. According to district TB officer Govind Singh, around 12,004 people were screened in 2023-24 alone. Among them, about 2,240 people were found to have silicosis.
A village in Delpur is becoming a widow’s colony.
When we reached Dholpur, about 250 km from Delhi, our first stop was the village of Barauli Pura in Bari district. It took a lot of hard work to get here. Next to the Samathura stone exit near Bari, a thin, narrow, sometimes uprooted road leads to Balaulipura. After getting off the car, it was difficult to even walk on this road.
Raghubar Dayal was found outside the village. Be around 60 years old, or one year or more older than this age. We asked – Uncle, is this Silicosis Village? There was an affirmative answer, along with a nod. We checked to see if anyone in the village had died of this disease recently? The answer came in a breathy voice. “Whoever gets this disease is bound to die. Someone dies from it every one or two months. The situation here is that 70% of families have widows.
Raghubal Dayal coughed several times while narrating all this. Upon questioning, he revealed that he had also worked in the mines. When I got silicosis, I had to quit my job. I later received a certificate of illness. Received help of Rs 3 lakh. Receive pension of 1500 rupees. But there are fears of losing lives. The condition of his body was clearly visible, and his chest was completely sunken.
If we get so much help from the government, won’t treatment be a problem?
Raghubar Dayal is confused – how many days can Rs 3 lakh last? Everything was spent on therapy.
But is treatment free?
Raghubar Dayal said: Initially he received treatment only in government hospitals. But sometimes the medicine is there, sometimes not. Medications didn’t help either. That’s why I’m getting external treatment. The cost of medication for a week is about 5,000 rupees. Tell me where the pension of Rs 1500 comes from. If the kids gave me money, I would take the medicine, otherwise I would be in trouble like this.
Not far into the village, we met Rekha (35 years old). Dark complexion and thin build. Just last year, her husband died of silicosis. She said that when she got married 15 years ago, her husband worked in a mine. I didn’t know at first that working in the mines was bad for my health. I found out later, but it was necessary for family expenses, so there was no limit.
While talking to Rekha, one or two more women came. Lakshmi, another woman who stood with Rekha, said the disease had engulfed many husbands. Almost 70% of the houses in the village house widows.
Recently, a resident of the village, Gulab, also died due to the disease. His wife still works. Lakshmi further told me that my people were still working in the mines. Due to a persistent cough, he was diagnosed with silicosis. But was rejected. People were worried about what was going to happen.
Rekha said she couldn’t understand what was happening at first. Then gradually, enduring the pain becomes a habit. The whole family has to suffer with this man. If the money maker gets sick, even food and water will be in trouble. Still, efforts were made to save the man. God’s will comes first
A man named Raju who was sitting nearby told reporters that there were not many men over 45 years old left in the village. The remainder also suffered from silicosis. Very few people get certificates. Medications are given externally. A lot of money was spent. Most people sometimes take medicine and sometimes don’t. We don’t allow our children to do this work. Why do we intentionally harm children?
Let us tell you that Rajasthan is the first state in the country to implement silicosis policy. There is also a provision to provide financial assistance of Rs 3 lakh and monthly pension of Rs 1,500 to patients suffering from silicosis. However, despite this, the number of patients and deaths continues to increase.
There are 33,000 legal mines in Rajasthan, said Dr. Rana Sengupta, managing trustee of the Mining Labor Protection Movement, an NGO that has long served the state’s mining workers. Approximately 2.5 million workers are associated with them. Who knows how many of them will develop silicosis.
Those who work in stone cutting, carving, grinding and construction are most likely to fall victim to the disease and die. This happens because there are not as many skilled doctors to treat silicosis. They give medications based on symptoms. They should know the patient’s medical history, where he is and what type of work he does.
By not doing this, silicosis is either detected in its final stages or not at all. In this case, many people die without knowing they have silicosis. Importantly, silicosis-related issues are also included in government tuberculosis plans.
Number of men over 40 years old in Dompura
Widow Tofa, a resident of Dompura village, told reporters that when one of her sons died of silicosis, she was determined not to let the other son do the work. She said – I tried my best. He was prevented from entering the mines, but fate also brought him to an untimely death. Now I make a living by cooking at school. Meanwhile, another woman, Vidya, said that in this village, almost 60% of the families have widows.
Raghubir, who lives here, said that after his son died of silicosis, he left behind three daughters and two sons. I can’t do any work. Silicosis pension is Rs 1500. Should I treat these children myself or feed them? If there are relatives who can help, I will take medicine, otherwise everything depends on God’s will. I worry about what will happen to these kids after me.
Due to the constant deaths, there is an atmosphere of panic in dozens of villages including Pura, Dompura, Rampura, Chandpura in Balauli. To protect their children, people prevented them from working in the quarries.
The youth from these villages now work as laborers in other states. I met one of them, Shivam Kumar, at a small tea shop outside the village. According to Shivam, he was engaged in granite grinding in Kerala. Dust also flies in, but that’s not a big deal. So far, more than 40 people have died from silicosis in the village. Every month or two there is news that someone has died. My dad also has silicosis so I was scared of what would happen. That’s why I come home every two months.
Shivam further explained that people in the village are still working in the quarries. His own uncle Motilal was working in the mines. During the conversation, Shivam took us to where his uncle worked. Met Motilal here. Then the question was answered.
Aren’t you afraid of getting sick?
Although I still have a cough, I have the responsibility of running the household. Salaries in Beldari are not as high as here.
How much can you get?
There are 400 to 500 vehicles in Beldari and only 250 to 300 vehicles.
District TB officer Dr Govind Singh said silicosis cannot be cured but can be prevented. If a person with silicosis takes the right medications and maintains a proper diet, it can be stopped in its early stages. The situation is much better now than before. People’s awareness has also increased. If someone feels that he has symptoms of silicosis, he must register on the e-Mitra portal. Then he got the date. We X-rayed it that day and updated it on the portal.
A radiologist was then assigned to the patient. Radiologists also use X-rays to confirm whether a patient’s symptoms are symptoms of silicosis. If the report is positive, then his application will be accepted. He started getting financial assistance of Rs 3 lakh and pension of Rs 1,500. Moreover, his treatment is free.
