Sugarcane mill horror in Odisha again: Minor boy loses hand

Reported by Ranjan Rath
Koraput, Feb 20:

In another shocking incident, a 10-year-old boy has lost his hand while working in a sugarcane mill in Odisha’s Koraput district.

Sources said Kamal Lochan Gauda and his family from Ambadola village in Nabarangpur district have been working in a sugarcane mill near Ambaguda village in Jeypore block in Koraput district for some month.

On Wednesday, the family members had gone to the mill for work. While working, the right hand of Kamal’s son, a class two student, came under the crusher. He was rushed to the Koraput district headquarters hospital in the night where the doctors amputated his hand up to his elbow on Thursday.

While the doctors at the hospital have said that the condition of the boy is stable, they said he would be kept under observation for some days and if necessary, there would be further treatment.

While the Nabarangpur police have begun investigation into the incident after arriving at Ambaguda village, Koraput District Labour Officer (DLO) has recorded the statement of the boy and his family members.

However, no complaint has been lodged with the police so far, the sources added.

This is the third such incident in the undivided Koraput district in the last three months.

A class VII student, Debi Singh Gauda, had lost his hand while working in a sugarcane mill in Nabarangpur district on October 11 last year while a 35-year-youth  had lost his hand in a sugarcane mill in Borigumma block in Koraput district on January 2 this year and succumbed to his injuries later.

Locals have alleged that due to the gross apathy of the district Labour department, the mill owners are engaging minor boys in this hazardous work.