08/04/2021
The illegal trading and mining of mica has been the open secret in mica rich districts since 1980, even after it was banned by the environmental laws.
Mica, the shimmery, translucent mineral, is used in cosmetics and automobile paint among other sectors, when the national commission For protection of Child rights (NCPCR) probes complaints on comestic brands for allegedly using mica from mines in Jharkhand that use child labour. As per the reports more than 22,000 children were involved in scavenging the mica accompanied by their parents.
This spurred a thriving industry, which saw small-scale mining companies operating on government-approved leases producing 17,000 tonnes of mica.A slew of laws, rules, and notifications — chief among them the Forest Conservation Act of 1980, which bars non-forest activities in designated forest areas without permission from the Union environment ministry — led the companies to withdraw from the industry.
Hence the Responsible Mica Initiative (RMI) was set up to push the global brands sourcing their mica from India to ensure no child labour is involved in the process.
Source Link:
published and updated on 20th February 2021.
https://theprint.in/india/jharkhands-shining-mica-has-a-dark-side-child-labour-deaths-in-mines-illegal-extractions/608165/
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