People of Bantoli

Mining bauxite by hand

Does the area have any natural resources?

40% of the natural resources of India come from this area. 98% of India’s copper, 90% of apatite, 54% of mica, 50% of coal, 50% of bauxite, 35% of China clay, and 16% of iron ore come from Bihar and Jharkand. Limestone, asbestos, and graphite are abundant. The area is India's sole producer of coking coal, pyrites, and uranium.

 

Many people work in mines. What are the working conditions?

Conditions in mines are generally appalling, with safety measures nonexistent. Many workers lose their lives on the job. Sometimes mica mines are closed, and the prime livelihood of the people is to collect scrap mica. Entire families are involved, and the mica is sold for very meager amounts to rich agents. In some areas, because of depleted forests, mica has become the sole source of income. Some people have been working as bonded laborers for generations. These people cannot get out of the bond because it provides them with guaranteed food. Bonded laborers are traded like livestock. Women and children must often work more than 10 hours a day.

Loading mined bauxite by hand into trucks