Despite government's claim to provide better healthcare, 6.4 million people in India suffer from cancer and bronchial diseases.
Workers who are employed by the Beedi industry, the Indian version of cigar, are the main victims of bronchial diseases.
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Samsad, a factory worker elaborated on the spread of disease in the district and said: "As you can see it is very harmful. The disease is spreading in other houses as well. Every house has a person suffering from these diseases," he said.
Dilip, a doctor, also highlighted the problems faced by the patients and said, "People start feeling itchy and they also develop spots on their body. If the condition gets severe then the chances of getting an anaphylactic shock increases and patients are then referred to a specialised hospital ".
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Ophthalmic diseases, heart diseases, tuberculosis and cancer continue to plague thousands of beedi (Indian cigar) workers in Uttar Pradesh. The workers await better health facilities, as promised by the government.
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Gursahaiganj area in Kannauj district of Uttar Pradesh has more than thirty beedi-making factories. Men, women and children work in these factories, which is the only source of their livelihood. As a result most of the workers suffer from asthma.
A million workers from the nearby villages, together make around thousand beedi's in a day. Despite this, they are unable to earn money, good enough for their survival. Although state's largest amount of Indian cigar is made in Kannauj district, the authorities have abandoned the issue of the illness of workers.
Due to insufficient income, the whole family gets involved in the making of Indian cigar, putting their health at stake.
Tobacco, which is filled in the cigar, is very harmful for health due to which in every village somebody or the other suffers from respiratory problems like tuberculosis (TB).
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