The children, all under 13 years of age, the youngest one just six years old, were rescued from Nangloi junk market by police following a tip off from NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan. The raid was supervised by Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Punjabi Bagh) Pradeep Kumar.
The children were involved in the extremely hazardous job of segregation of electronic scrap from computers, mobile phones and other electronics and were found to be working in oppressive conditons, the BBA said.
Nangloi is one of the biggest junk markets where all kinds of electronic, furniture and other similar scrap is transported to be segregated for recycling. There are nearly 1,000 scrap stores in Nangloi that are engaged in this work.
The rescued children used to work for scrap dealers for a meager amount. They were exposed to many dangerous metals like lead, silicon, toxic plastic and chemicals that can cause damage to the body, the BBA said.
The six-year-old victim said, "I was brought here by a man in my village. I work from 9 a.M. Till 11 p.M. Every day. I detach the parts of machines and I stay in the factory only."
The children were trafficked by middlemen and local agents from their native villages in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and many of them are homeless.
