11 boys working as bonded labourers rescued from north Delhi

Eleven boys, including an eight-year-old, working as bonded labourers were rescued from several places in north Delhi's Samaypur Badli area, a child rights body said on Sunday.

Raids were conducted in seven places under the Samaypur Badli police station area on Friday following reports of children working as labourers in hazardous conditions, the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) said.

Eleven children were rescued during the operation, it added.

"These children were working in hazardous conditions as bonded labour in bakery units, kharat machine units and auto center units of Alipur area of North Delhi district. One child was rescued from a residential place where he was working as domestic help,” the DCPCR said in a statement.

“The rescued children were exposed to all kinds of physical and mental trauma, especially in the times of a Covid pandemic," it added.

The children were sent to child care institutions in the city and would be reunited with their families, the commission said.

According to the child rights body, in another rescue operation conducted on January 28, 51 minors were rescued. Of these, 10 were boys and the rest 41 girls. The rescue mission was undertaken at sawmill, shoe and scrap units in the Nangloi area in West Delhi.

"In both the rescue operations, the children were mostly found to be working for over 12 hours a day and were paid a bare minimum amount of Rs 100-150 per day.

“Furthermore, these children were found working in extremely unhygienic and unhealthy conditions with no face masks, posing a serious threat to their lives especially during these times of pandemic," the statement said.