Sweet Smell of Change: Agarbatti Industry Moves toward Child Labour-Free Future

Child labour in the incense manufacturing industry, a longstanding concern for India, is declining significantly and the sector is moving towards complete freedom from child labour in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Bihar. The study, ‘Fragrance of Agarbatti: A Study on Extent of Child Labour in India’s Incense Stick Manufacturing Industry’, conducted by India Child Protection (ICP), found that 82 percent of respondents had not witnessed any instances of child labour in the sector while only 8 percent respondent said that they had witnessed child labour in incense stick manufacturing units. ICP is a partner of Just Rights for Children (JRC) – a network of over 200 NGOs working in 416 districts for child protection and child rights.

India Child Protection conducted the research with data from other JRC partners in these states including Anekal Rehabilitation Education and Development Centre, Margdarshi Society, Spandana Association, Prayas JAC Society, Janakalyan Welfare Society, Rural Education and Liberty, SAMANTHA Society for Rural Education and Development Society for Education and Environment Development.

Expressing optimism about this positive trend, Ravi Kant, National Convenor of Just Rights for Children, stated, "This finding is extremely encouraging for the country and a strong indication that India is on the right path to eliminating child labour. The steady decline in child labour across these three states reflects the effectiveness of recent policy initiatives and the commitment of the state and Central governments to end this crime. Now, we must ensure sustained efforts from all stakeholders—including government agencies, civil society, and industry leaders—to build on this momentum and achieve a child labour free India."

To assess the extent of child labour in this sector, specific pockets in the states were identified which included Chikkaballapur and Kolar districts in Karnataka, Gaya in Bihar, and Alluri Seetha Rama Raju, Anakapalli, Chittoor and Sri Satya Sai districts in Andhra Pradesh. The data was collated after visits and consultations with stakeholders, engagement with residents and community leaders for geographical insights and data received from residents in the areas. Various researchers have found that inhaling dust, toxic chemicals and heavy metals present in incense sticks leads to respirators, neurological effects, cardiovascular problems, cognitive dysfunction and potential long-term health issues like cancer.

While this overall positive trend is visible across all study states, the trend showed regional variations. While in Bihar, an overwhelming 96 percent of respondents said they had not witnessed any child labour in their neighbourhood incense stick industry, 61 percent of Karnataka respondents had not seen any child labour in their neighbourhood factories and 77 percent of respondents in Andhra Pradesh said that child labour did not exist in the incense stick factories around them.

For more information, please contact:

Jitendra Parmar: 8595950825; Paroma Bhattacharya: 9910940551