89,000 Children Under 18 Are Engaged in Daily Wage Work, Says Survey

Hyderabad: Child labor continues to exist in Telangana despite a decline in the last decade; Concerns continue in both rural and urban sectors as June 12 is celebrated as the World Day Against Child Labour.

Child labor has decreased by nearly 80 percent in the past 11 years, according to the state labor department. But cases where Railway Protection Force crews rescue children brought into cities continue to surface every year, officials said.

The state’s socio-economic caste survey estimates that approximately 89,000 children under 18 are engaged in daily wage work. Poverty, seasonal agricultural migration and lack of access to education were identified as key factors.

In rural areas, especially in agriculture, adolescents are engaged in work such as growing cotton and red pepper, often in hazardous conditions and exposure to pesticides. In urban centres, including Hyderabad, children are employed in construction, street vendors, domestic work and small-scale industries in areas such as Old City, Balanagar, Chandanagar and Aramghar.

Social scientist Aparna Addala said: “Child labor is not always deliberately encouraged; it often stems from systemic crises such as extreme poverty, lack of access to education and adult unemployment. Families struggling to afford food, shelter and healthcare may depend on children’s earnings for survival, while exploitative industries use children as a source of cheap, compliant labour.”

Officials cited Veilpur mandal in Nizamabad district as a model, where sustained community efforts have eliminated child labour. Former Nizamabad Collector Asok Kumar said: “Veilpur’s success in remaining a child labor-free mandal even after 25 years shows that community participation is crucial for any social transformation. Since 2001, no child has dropped out of school in this mandal, which was once highly prone to child labour. This unparalleled success has been made possible due to community participation and collective determination.”

Dr E. Gangadhar, additional commissioner of the labor department, said: “We are committed to eradicating child labor in the state through awareness campaigns, rescue of children, rehabilitation and prosecution of offenders. Child labor has reduced sharply. Compared to 3.3 lakh child laborers recorded in the 2011 Census, the latest door-to-door first phase household list identified nearly 84,000 children employed. The most important point is that children below 14 years of age should not be employed in child labour. was found.”

“Children between the ages of 14 and 18 who are engaged in labor are mostly in the agricultural sector.”