The Vulnerable Mining Community

India is a country richly endowed with mineral deposits. In India, the mining sector is a core industrial sector and is crucial for the economic growth of the country. Since almost all the mineral rich districts lie in the backward areas and are inhabited by tribals, tribal labour constitutes a large proportion of the workforce involved in the mining sector. Tribals are mostly illiterate and are easily exploited. This paper provides an insight into the abysmal working conditions in the mines of India. Accidents, inundations and prolonged exposure to mine dust form regular features in the daily life of the miners. Even women and children are not spared, although they are seldom involved in mining directly. The net result is a fall in the life-span of the miners and their family members. The fatal diseases such as anthracosis, silicosis, asbestosis, berylliosis and siderosis, frequently suffered by the mine workers as a consequence of these working conditions and their magnitude have been dealt with in this paper. Case studies have been discussed in detail. Finally, remedial measures have been suggested for the protection of the vulnerable mining community and for the systematic utilisation of mining waste.