SINDHUPALCHOWK, FEBRUARY 17

As many as 104 child workers were found at Wards 7 and 8 of Melamchi Municipality alone.

Among them, 100 are girls and four are boys.

This was revealed in a study conducted by Women Self Reliance Centre. The age of 52 per cent of child workers ranges from 9 to 14 years, while others are from 15 to 18 years.

Moreover, 15.85 per cent of the total child workers are out of school. The remaining children work in rug industries every morning and evening and go to school during the daytime. However, they do not attend school on a regular basis, the study added.

The Centre made public the study report at Malamchi yesterday.

However, child labourers were not involved in brick kilns. Most of the child labourers involved in rug making were from wards 7 and 8, according to Evaluation and Monitoring Officer at the Centre Dhruba Sapkota.

Moreover, most of the rug industries run in small scale from home are not registered with the municipalities or other concerned bodies. Ward Chairperson Tankaraj Giri admitted that even the ward office lacked such records.

The study further said children working in rug-making facilities were suffering from back pain and eyesore. Some of them even reported mental problems.

Although the law does not permit children below 14 years in child labour, parents themselves send their children to work.

The study report mentioned that 61 per cent of child labourers were facing financial problems at home while 39 per cent were engaged in it due to family pressure.

A version of this article appears in the print on February 18, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.