HEALTH AND HAZARDS: A STUDY OF JUTE MILLS IN HOWRAH

Abstract

The history of jute manufacturing industry is closely associated with the district of Howrah. In fact, jute manufacturing units, installed on the two banks of the river Hooghly around Calcutta and Howrah, gave tough challenges to the European manufacturers. Those factories employed Children, women and adult labourers in large numbers. The poverty stricken and agricultural hinterland facilitated the employers to ‘pull’ the unskilled labourers. The people lacked the choices for employment opportunities and got entrapped in the unhygienic and Hazard- prone industries. Urban surroundings and industrial work place were full of diseases and atmosphere was polluted as well. Lack of quarters forced them to stay in unhealthy slums and ‘bustees’. The burden of clamouring labourers in municipal areas was coupled with improper facilities of sanitation. Such a filthy industrial environment invited infectious diseases like ‘Burdwan Fever’, Cholera, Influenza etc. The factory floors too scored many hazards. The industrial accidents were categorized as ‘fatal, severe and slight’ in nature. Moving machines caused frequent causality. Women and children workers became a prey to the giant machines who were generally employed for cleaning the machines. The adult labourers too were not so much acquainted with the ‘monster’ machines. Later, the municipal authorities, employers and the government were forced to look after the sanitation facility along with health and hygiene situations in the industrial environment. Legislations were promulgated for maintaining the industrial health and reducing the workplace hazards.