Mining dust kills dozens in Aravalli villages as Supreme Court panel skips worst-hit areas
· India · Hindustan Times, The Hindu
Silicosis has killed more than 50 residents in Syalodra village in Rajasthan's Sikar district, where stone crushing units release silica dust that causes the incurable lung disease. The Supreme Court-appointed panel reviewing the Aravalli range's ecological boundaries concluded field visits on August 11 without visiting Syalodra or many other mining-affected areas in Kotputli-Behror and Sikar districts. The panel's final report is due by November 30, but the court recently refused to extend the original August 31 deadline. Families of victims say they have exhausted savings on treatment and received no administrative support, and cannot afford to relocate. A 2023 study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine documented the prevalence of silicosis in Rajasthan's stone carving and sandstone mining industry.
Why it matters
Hundreds of mine workers and villagers in the Aravalli range continue breathing silica dust daily with no relief, while the court-mandated ecological review missed the worst-affected communities.
Read the original report — Hindustan Times
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