Agricultural child labor in West Bengal

Five hundred agricultural child workers of the age group 7-14 years from nine villages of three districts of West Bengal were studied to investigate the socio-economic problems, health hazards and health status. Majority (65%) were Muslims and the rest were Hindus; 79% were boys and most were the eldest children in the families. Nearly 65% children were part-time workers of whom 54% were unpaid helpers and the rest mostly received meagre wages of Rs. 5 to 6 per day. Seventy per cent fathers and 96% mothers were illiterate. A total of 33.6% children did not attend schools and 37.6% had discontinued their studies due to poor economic conditions. Reasons for taking up jobs were mostly due to low family income. Almost 85% children lived in kaccha houses and 98.5% used open fields for sanitation. Different grades of malnutrition were observed in 77.4% boys and 88.5% girls. None had undergone any systemic health check-ups. The associated ailments recorded were anemia (68.5%), gastrointestinal tract infections (65.8%), upper respiratory tract infections (15.5%), vitamin deficiencies (81.2%), eye diseases (30.2%) and skin diseases (22.8%). Health hazards, to which the children were exposed, included heat-induced disorders (4%), mechanical injuries (16%), toxic effects of chemicals (3%), bites of poisonous insects (34%) and death of two children due to poisonous snake bite. No legal protection was available to child.