It is common knowledge that donkeys are physically abused throughout the world. In developing countries mules and horses are added to the list of working animals. I first visited the brick kilns in the Noida district of Uttar Pradesh with a group of foreign delegates working for equine welfare all over the globe. During such visits, quite understandably, the animal owners proudly show off the animals that are healthy, while the unhealthy ones are hidden away in a corner. It was during these visits that I got a clearer picture of the situation.
The Indian brick kiln industry is the second largest producer of bricks in the world after China. Sixty five per cent of the total brick production is done in the Gangetic plains of north India which include Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal.
Organisations that work for equine welfare in India will vouch for the fact that equines are most abused in brick kilns. The animals transport moulded, un-baked bricks from the brick field to the brick kiln, from mid- December to mid-June. Donkeys are pack animals, which mean they have to carry the bricks on their backs while mules and horses are lucky enough to have a cart to pull.
Uttar Pradesh has the highest concentration of working donkeys, horses and mules in India. It is also the state having the most brick kilns in India.
The sites of the brick fields are rice or wheat fields which are not in use and have been leased to contractors for a fixed period of time. The road leading from the brick field to the kiln is usually around half a kilometre, initially. Every year this distance increases as the topsoil is used for making bricks and the field is moved to an adjacent site, which is further away from the brick kiln. Each unbaked brick weighs around 3 kg and a donkey usually carries about 50-60 bricks on its back at a time. Mules and horses carry anywhere between 400 to 600 kg of bricks on their carts.
The living conditions of these animals are equally dismal in most places as they are infested with flies due to a severe lack of sanitation. Harsh nylon ropes are used to restrict their movement and to prevent from straying, but they restrict the animal’s movement to such an extent that it can hardly move its head beyond its feeding trough.
It’s not an unusual sight to see the owners of animals tending to minor injuries ever day. This is caused by negligence on the part of their owners as well as poor equipment that is used in their handling.
Chronic lameness is very common in these animals as most of them are over-worked. Not checking the balance of the cart regularly can cause serious injuries to the animal.
During the brick kiln season, horses are fed gram and wheat bran on a frequent basis to maintain their energy levels. During off-season they are fed straw and grass. Most donkeys have to do with straw.
For the past two decades India’s has been booming. We have been constructing buildings like never before. But unlike the West, where construction activities are completely mechanised, we still use animal labour on a large scale. If we shift to mechanised labour completely it puts the environment at risk with the level of pollution it is bound to cause. Also at stake is the livelihood of thousands of migrant workers who work in these brick kilns. The only sustainable solution seems to be to use these animals, but without exploiting them and ensuring that their interests are put on par with ours.