Villagers in MP’s tribal pockets haunted by silicosis deaths

Ramila Malsingh is not yet into her 30s. But her skinny frame, drooping shoulders and pallid complexion gives her the look of an aged woman, managing to barely walk a few steps before stopping to regain her breath.

But Ramila is considered “lucky” in her village Kachaldhara in Madhya Pradesh’s Jhabua, a highly drought-prone district dotted with degraded wastelands and home to several tribal communities of the state.

A widow and mother of two, Ramila is among the only eight people in the Bhilala tribal village who are surviving despite suffering from silicosis, a health condition marked by inflammation and scarring of lungs due to prolonged exposure to fine silica dust. Read more

Courtesy: hindustantimes