Aide et Action South Asia launches India’s largest mapping exercise of migrant population in AP

May 22, 2010 - PRLog -- Migration is one of the major global issues of concern this century. In India alone, more than 30 million people migrate every year in search of livelihoods.   Around 12.6 million short term out-migrants are staying away from their usual residence for about six months to a year. According to the 55th Round of the National Sample Survey (1999–2000), there are 20 million people who annually migrate temporarily, and as per National Sample Survey data (1999-2000), around 62% is rural migration.

Rural Urban and Urban to Urban Migration

The seasonal migration is often linked to failure of crops debt cycles, and the need for money for repaying debts through which the people are exploited and are rendered into forced labour conditions – and have to migrate on seasonal basis to different states for wage employment with a contractual process at hand. Most of the people who migrate are working in the brick kilns, as casual construction labourers, farm workers and quarry workers, mining workers, and other allied construction sector activities and other informal services as rickshaw pullers, service providers in trading or in hospitality sector.

Migration into and out of Andhra Pradesh -According to NSSO data, in the year 1999-2000, that there were 11.07 lakh people who have migrated into Andhra Pradesh and also 11.59 lakh people migrated out of Andhra Pradesh. Most of the migrant families moving into Andhra Pradesh are mostly to the districts like Hyderabad, RangaReddy, Nalgonda, Medak, Visakhapatnam, etc., and while those who are moving out of Andhra Pradesh are from the districts Mahabubnagar, Nellore, Kurnool, Anantapur, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram etc. Similarly the migration into Andhra Pradesh is from the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh.

Children suffer the most- The children constitute about 25% of the total migrant population and mostly end up as child labour at worksites. At the workplace, the children are mostly away from care and protection, health and nutrition, learning and exposure, and overall childhood wellbeing in comparison with their peer in the source village.  In all these the girl child suffers the most as they face double discrimination and work load.

India’s largest mapping exercise of migrant population

Government of Andhra Pradesh has collaborated with Aide et Action an International NGO for mapping of migrant population including exhaustive data on children. . Mr. R.Venkat Reddy Minister for Labour has formally declared the launch of identification in a small village called Donthi in Medak district in presence of Minister for Irrigation, Ms.Sunitha Laxma Reddy. Speaking to a gathering of over 500 villagers including migrant families, she said that huge data generated will be helpful in linking various welfare schemes with one of the most invisible vulnerable poor. Mr.D.Srinivasulu IAS, Commissioner of labour, “We will ensure that no child labour among migrant families engage in work and see that all are enrolled in schools”. Mr.SS Jaideep Regional Manager AEA Hyderabad region said, “We have identified 250 NGOs and 6000 volunteers to carry forward this work in collaboration with the Labor department and Rajiv Vidya Mission and expect data of over 30 lakh population”. Aide et Action will prepare MIS of data generated to flag off various policy changes required to address needs of children of migrant communties, which include-

•   Initiating seasonal hostels at source  areas  of migration and  bridge schools at worksite of migrant  population
•   Broader trends of interstate and intrastate migration to institutionalize access to various social schemes
•   To develop and establish tracking system for inter and intra state for developing holistic plans for children
•   Design newer models of education for  children of seasonal migrants in the light of implementation of Right to Education Act
•   Resource and risk analysis (Analysis of Push and pull factors) at source and destination areas
•   Implementation of Interstate workman act in letter and spirit
.According to Mr.Murali Mohan, Secretary SADHANA an NGO which is coordinating efforts in Medak district said, the great challenge for carrying this exercise is coordination of line departments and cooperation of owners at various worksites such as mine quarries, brick kilns and construction sites. The event is attended by AEA staff from Hyderabad region, district level officials of Labour department, education department and various village and block level public functionaries.

For details contact-
Vishy
Head- Communications
Aide et Action South Asia,

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Aide et Action is an international development organisation working in 26 countries worldwide and in 18 states in India.