PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
With the goal of declaring Rishikesh a “no child labour zone” by January 2026, the Labour department has completed 60 per cent of the required work related to enforcement and operations concerning child labour. The remaining 40 per cent will focus on domestic areas and will be conducted by the end of the month, particularly during Makar Sankranti, informed the assistant labour commissioner of Rishikesh, Deepak Kumar.
Notably, the Labour department began an enforcement and awareness campaign in Rishikesh in December last year. This initiative was held in three stages over the course of the month. In the first phase, entrepreneurs, hotel owners, traders and the general public were educated about child labour, its penalties and its detrimental effects. Business owners were also asked to display banners in their establishments that highlight the consequences and negative impacts of child labour.
In the second phase, the department inspected commercial establishments to ensure that the child labour awareness banners were being displayed. Finally, the third phase involved intensive efforts to identify instances of child labour in commercial establishments and other locations.
Regarding the updates from the initiative, Kumar said that the campaign had been conducted throughout December. “The operations focused on locations such as Triveni Ghat and market areas. During this campaign, two children were rescued: one was below 14 years and the other was below 18,” he said.
Kumar further stated that the rescued children had been handed over to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC). “Under this initiative, the department has put up child labour banners in those commercial establishments where no instance of child labour was found, indicating compliance with our directive,” he said.
“We have accomplished 60 per cent of our goal to declare Rishikesh a no child labour zone so far. The remaining 40 per cent work will focus on domestic areas, including societies and apartments. Besides, as people gather during Makar Sankranti celebrations, there will be a campaign, covering domestic areas aimed at raising awareness among the public and monitoring instances of child labour,” he said.
Kumar also noted that instances of child labour in Rishikesh have significantly decreased. He attributed this decline to three main reasons: first, Rishikesh is a religious city where child labour is seen as socially unacceptable; second, as a tourist destination that attracts many foreigners, child labour is frowned upon by the European visitors and third, to maintain a positive image and attract tourists, locals avoid engaging child labour.
