Video Volunteers Community Activist Exposes Deaths of Sewage Workers in Punjab
NEW YORK and PUNJAB, India, Dec. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Two men lost their lives while manually cleaning sewage drains in the North Indian state of Punjab. As Video Volunteers Community Correspondent Jai Kumar reports, the two men were working without protective masks and gloves – safety equipment that municipal governments are required to provide by law.
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"This community is poor and many of its people are illiterate," says Mr. Kumar. "Although they understand the dangers of manual scavenging, they desperately need the money and find it very difficult to get other jobs. Unawareness of basic rights like access to safety equipment, however, leaves them in an entirely helpless situation."
Although "manual scavenging" is banned in India, men from the Dalit caste (formerly "untouchables") are commonly employed as sewage cleaners, exposing themselves to unsafe conditions and poisonous gases, including elevated levels of carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen and hydrogen sulphide.
Mr. Kumar has produced a video documenting the deaths of the two manual scavengers, along with interviews of other local sewage workers. His video highlights squalid conditions and the lack of safety provisions for workers, as well as the socio-economic factors that come into play.
A teacher at a school for children of manual laborers, Mr. Kumar recently joined IndiaUnheard as a video activist. Launched by international media and human rights organization Video Volunteers, IndiaUnheard is a news feature service that provides a strong platform for disadvantaged communities to voice their concerns.
Video Volunteers program manager Sameer says, "As an outspoken community correspondent, Jai isn't afraid to expose issues that have been avoided by mainstream media."
To watch Mr. Kumar's other videos, visit his profile at the IndiaUnheard website at http://indiaunheard.videovolunteers.org/author/jai/.
About IndiaUnheard
IndiaUnheard is the first ever community news service launched by Video Volunteers. This new initiative is constituted of a network of community correspondents who are trained to tell unique stories; stories about their own communities; stories which are otherwise left untold. By feeding this community-produced content to national and international outlets, such as mainstream television channels and social networking sites, IndiaUnheard links rural communities with a truly global audience. Through bridging these worlds, IndiaUnheard empowers communities to create real change on real issues affecting their lives.
About Video Volunteers
Video Volunteers identifies, trains and empowers grassroots media producers who create change in and for voiceless communities in the developing world. The organization's work has been recognized by the Knight News Challenge, Echoing Green, TED, Waldzell, the King of Belgium, UNESCO, YouTube, and others who have helped Video Volunteers elevate the voices of these rural communities. For further information on Video Volunteers please visit www.videovolunteers.org or follow us @twitter/video volunteers or fan us on Facebook/Video Volunteers.
If you wish to speak with Jessica Mayberry, founder, Video Volunteers or Chair of the Board Davia Temin, please contact Suzanne Oaks of Temin and Company at 212-588-8788 or [email protected].
Available Topic Experts: For information on the listed experts, click appropriate link.
Davia Temin -- http://www.profnetconnect.com/davia_temin
Jessica Mayberry -- http://www.profnetconnect.com/jessica_mayberry
SOURCE Video Volunteers
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