Post by Trade Coach on Dec 11, 2012 7:11:53 GMT 1
Fears of child labour, illegal mining preventing resumption of Indian mica mines
Attempts to resume operations in defunct mica mines in East Indian provinces are being dogged by the failure to frame a mechanism to prevent illegal mining and child labour.
“Last year there were several inquiries from European pharmaceutical and electrical companies seeking mica supplies from closed mines in the eastern Indian province of Jharkhand. This was also followed up by a visit of an industrial delegation from Europe to the province,” said an official in India's Mines Ministry.
“However, since then, there has not been any success in evolving an institutional mechanism at the ground level which would check illegal mining and engaging child labour, the two principal reasons for closing down of mica mines in Jharkhand, two decades ago,” the official said.
According to the official, Europe-based pharmaceutical and electrical companies have sought allocation of the closed-down mica mines in favour of their contracted Indian suppliers to gain assured supplies from the country, but neither the federal nor provincial governments were able to lay down guidelines which held out the promise of preventing the reoccurence of child labour in the fragmented and unorganised mica mining industry.
In fact, overseas buyers of Indian mica were the first to oppose child labour in the industry and to stop purchases, which led to a ban on mica mining in the province of Bihar, which was extended to Jharkhand. The latter was carved out of Bihar as a separate province in 2000.
Government officials pointed out that illegal mica mining, which engaged child labour in hazardous operations, was rampant in certain regions of Bihar neighbouring the mica reserves in Jharkhand.
If the closed-down mines were to be made operational through allocation to new miners, such proposals would have to be forwarded to the Indian federal government. But given the controversies over illegal mining of other minerals, the Mines Ministry would not be able to risk taking any new initiative on mica, the official added.
However, given European buyers and governments were extremely sensitive to issues relating to child labour, India could not risk its reputation by failing to implement strict mechanisms to counter the malpractice, the official added.
According to the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), Indian mica reserves and resources were estimated at 532 237 t with 2010/11 production of 1 293 t coming principally from mines located in the provinces of Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan. Export of mica from the country was estimated at 125 357 t.
According to an IBM report, mica and its products were being substituted to some extent by usage of alumina, ceramics, bentonite, glass, fused quartz, silicon and talc.
The world demand for sheet mica was expected to decline but this would be compensated by the anticipated growth in demand for scrap mica and value-added mica products. Therefore, the world market conditions were expected to be favourable for mica exports from India.
But to take full advantage of the prevailing market situation and boost exports, it would be necessary for the Indian mica industry to manufacture and export fabricated value-added products such as mica paper, micanite and mica-based paper, the IBM report said.
Source: www.miningweekly.com/article/fears-of-child-labour-illegal-mining-preventing-resumption-of-indian-mica-mines-2012-12-03
Learn more about Mica Export in Nigeria @ micaexport.proboards.com
Attempts to resume operations in defunct mica mines in East Indian provinces are being dogged by the failure to frame a mechanism to prevent illegal mining and child labour.
“Last year there were several inquiries from European pharmaceutical and electrical companies seeking mica supplies from closed mines in the eastern Indian province of Jharkhand. This was also followed up by a visit of an industrial delegation from Europe to the province,” said an official in India's Mines Ministry.
“However, since then, there has not been any success in evolving an institutional mechanism at the ground level which would check illegal mining and engaging child labour, the two principal reasons for closing down of mica mines in Jharkhand, two decades ago,” the official said.
According to the official, Europe-based pharmaceutical and electrical companies have sought allocation of the closed-down mica mines in favour of their contracted Indian suppliers to gain assured supplies from the country, but neither the federal nor provincial governments were able to lay down guidelines which held out the promise of preventing the reoccurence of child labour in the fragmented and unorganised mica mining industry.
In fact, overseas buyers of Indian mica were the first to oppose child labour in the industry and to stop purchases, which led to a ban on mica mining in the province of Bihar, which was extended to Jharkhand. The latter was carved out of Bihar as a separate province in 2000.
Government officials pointed out that illegal mica mining, which engaged child labour in hazardous operations, was rampant in certain regions of Bihar neighbouring the mica reserves in Jharkhand.
If the closed-down mines were to be made operational through allocation to new miners, such proposals would have to be forwarded to the Indian federal government. But given the controversies over illegal mining of other minerals, the Mines Ministry would not be able to risk taking any new initiative on mica, the official added.
However, given European buyers and governments were extremely sensitive to issues relating to child labour, India could not risk its reputation by failing to implement strict mechanisms to counter the malpractice, the official added.
According to the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), Indian mica reserves and resources were estimated at 532 237 t with 2010/11 production of 1 293 t coming principally from mines located in the provinces of Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan. Export of mica from the country was estimated at 125 357 t.
According to an IBM report, mica and its products were being substituted to some extent by usage of alumina, ceramics, bentonite, glass, fused quartz, silicon and talc.
The world demand for sheet mica was expected to decline but this would be compensated by the anticipated growth in demand for scrap mica and value-added mica products. Therefore, the world market conditions were expected to be favourable for mica exports from India.
But to take full advantage of the prevailing market situation and boost exports, it would be necessary for the Indian mica industry to manufacture and export fabricated value-added products such as mica paper, micanite and mica-based paper, the IBM report said.
Source: www.miningweekly.com/article/fears-of-child-labour-illegal-mining-preventing-resumption-of-indian-mica-mines-2012-12-03
Learn more about Mica Export in Nigeria @ micaexport.proboards.com
