A campaign will be organised at zone-level to protect children from drug addiction. A meeting in this regard was organised at Mangalwara which witnessed participation of municipal corporation officials, officers from women and child department and NGO representatives.

 

 

The meeting was organised by NIWCYD along with UNICEF and MPR. Satyednra Pandey from NIWACYD said that a total of 15 wards were studied in connection with safety of children. It is been observed that small children living in slum areas are coming under influence of a drug addiction and due to which they are also becoming insecure. It is therefore necessary that all the departments and NGOs of the government should jointly start campaign against those who provide the drugs to the children. It was noted that drugs are easily available to them. They claimed that drug addiction among child labour is at increase .

 

 

Survey conducted by National Institute of Women, Child and Youth Development (NIWCYD) and Bachpan showcase that among 157 child labourers from ten districts in Madhya Pradesh which includes Bhopal many of them are subjected to physical violence. Around 48 % children are working for 10 to 12 hours without taking leave. Drug addiction is almost common among all the children who are subjected to physical violence. In the study many major issues have come out which affects the children including sexual exploitation of children, child labour and child marriage etc. Corporator Sanjeev Gupta said that they are continuously working for the safety of all children and are making efforts to ensure that a separate child counselling cell is built in each ward. There should be action on shoppers who sell drugs to children. Many persons were present in the meeting including, Amit Tiwari, incharge of ward, Mohammad Shahab Khan incharge of ward, anganwadi teachers etc.

 

 

Volunteer Yogendra Raj urged officials that the land which is vacant in the wards should be used for making such centres and also Anganwadi so that children can get quality education before quality education. He also said that children will be safe even if the surrounding environment is fine. Other people, including consultant Neelofar Khan, Lakshmi Kushwaha and Bal Kalyan Police Officer Sengar etc also shared their thoughts in the meeting.