Air pollution has become a problem in Pakistan in recent years. According to experts, brick kilns cause immense pollution by releasing highly toxic fumes into the air.
The government has also ordered these brick kilns to switch to new technology. Toxic fumes from furnaces are not only an ecological enemy of air pollution, but also a threat to human lives.
The lives of young children working in the furnaces are especially dangerous. It is a sad state of affairs that children working in brick kilns in Pakistan are among the most vulnerable and exploited workers in the country.
Although they are the most affected by environmental and air pollution, they suffer from long hours of hard work in harsh and dangerous conditions, low wages, debt slavery, lack of education, food shortages, health problems and human rights violations.
Child labor is a global problem that deprives children of their basic rights. It hinders their development. Children spend their childhood in furnaces instead of getting an education and enjoying their childhood.
Most of the children in the ovens suffer from malnutrition. Children who work are more likely to be malnourished, resulting in stunted growth, weakened immune systems and increased susceptibility to disease.
Working in a ventilated environment with a lack of nutrition, the respiratory environment is a threat to the lives of children. According to a survey by the Trust for Democratic Education and Accountability, seven percent of children work in ovens.
The average age of these children is ten, while some are as young as five. These children work 14 hours a day, making bricks, carrying heavy loads, mixing mud or feeding coal furnaces.
They are exposed to extreme heat, dust, fumes and toxins that cause respiratory infections, skin diseases, eye problems and injuries. According to a report by the World Health Organization, more than 30 million children in the world suffer from malnutrition.
The problem of malnutrition has so far appeared in 15 countries. The report states that the health of 8 million malnourished children has become unhealthy. Climate change, corona, conflicts and the rising cost of living are causing an increasing number of children to suffer from severe malnutrition.
