Telangana: Child Labour is Down, Not Out

Hyderabad: Child labour continues to persist in Telangana, including in Hyderabad, despite policy focus and awareness campaigns. Though official data indicates a decline over the past decade, enforcement agencies continue to rescue children trafficked for labour into the city.

Ahead of the World Day Against Child Labour on June 12, authorities suggest child labour remains prevalent in both rural and urban sectors. However, a state labour department official said child labour has reduced by around 80 per cent over the last 11 years, while Railway Protection Force personnel continue to identify and rescue minors annually.

A case study from Veilpur mandal in Nizamabad district has been cited as an example of sustained community-led intervention. Authorities said the mandal has remained largely free of child labour due to collective participation and monitoring.

In agriculture, particularly in cotton and chilli cultivation, adolescents are engaged in hazardous work involving heavy labour and exposure to pesticides. In urban areas such as Hyderabad, children are employed in construction, street vending and domestic work, largely within the informal sector.

According to the state’s socio-economic caste survey, around 89,000 children under 18 are engaged in daily wage work. Officials attribute the persistence of child labour to poverty, seasonal migration and lack of access to education.

Aparna Addala, Social Scientist, said, “Child labour is not intentionally encouraged; rather, it is driven by systemic crises like extreme poverty, lack of educational access, and adult unemployment. Families often depend on children’s incomes for basic survival, while exploitative industries seek out children as a source of cheap, easily compliant labour. When families cannot afford necessities like food, housing, or healthcare, children are forced to work as a coping mechanism simply to survive”

Instances of child labour have been reported in parts of Hyderabad, including the Old City, where minors are engaged in jewellery work, and in industrial areas such as Balanagar, Chandanagar and Aramghar. Many of these children are reported to have migrated from other states.

Highlighting the Veilpur model, former Nizamabad collector Asok Kumar said, “Success and sustenance of Veilpur as a child labour-free mandal even after 25 years is a testimony of the fact that community’s involvement is the most important factor for any social transformation drive. No child has been out of school in this highly child labour-prone Mandal since 2001. I had done it with community participation. It's the collective determination of the community that is behind this unique success.”

Labour department officials said enforcement and rehabilitation measures have contributed to a decline in numbers. Dr E. Gangadhar, additional commissioner, labour department, said, “We are committed to the elimination of child labour in the state. I am taking all necessary steps, such as spreading awareness, withdrawal of children, rehabilitation and prosecution. There is a drastic drop in child labour in the state. Compared to the 2011 census, the number of child labourers has declined from 3.3 lakh in the 2011 Census to 84,000 during the socio-economic caste survey.”