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A Study On Problem Faced By Working Women With Special Reference to Stone Quarry in Kankeyam Block In Erode District

"A STUDY ON PROBLEM FACED BY WORKING WOMEN WITH

SPECIAL REFERENCE TO STONE QUARRY IN KANKEYAM BLOCK IN

ERODE DISTRICT"


CHAPTER-I

1.INTRODUCTION

A quarry is a large deposit of rock such as granite which is mined for use in

construction projects. Quarries can be found all over the world, and most contain a heavy

concentration of a particular type of rock such as marble, limestone, slate, or gypsum. In

many nations, the word quarry is used interchangeably for two types of quarry: gravel pits,

from which gravel and particulate matter are extracted, and dimension stone quarries, from

which large chunks of sheets of rock are extracted for use in building. Dimension stone is

used to make tiles, flagstones, counters, roofs, and other projects which require large slabs

of uniform stone.

Unlike other types of mines, a quarry is usually not dug out underground, and rarely

reaches a depth greater than 60 feet (18 meters). A shallow pit is excavated into a deposit of

rock which runs close to the surface, and the pit is slowly expanded to remove valuable rock

material. If the quarry is being used to extract gravel or fill, explosives may be used to break

it up before it is removed and loaded into trucks. If dimension stone is required, the

excavation process is more painstaking to ensure that the stone is not damaged.

While a quarry is in active operation, it must be protected from groundwater seepage

and rain, or it will turn into a small pond or lake. Many quarries are surrounded with moats

of impermeable material to prevent seepage, and are also covered to prevent rain from

accumulating in the open pit. In some cases, pumps may be installed to assist with removing

water from the quarry. The company which built the quarry also maintains roads to and from

the site, and sometimes builds a temporary processing center for the rock so that it can be

removed, graded, and processed on site, with excess being disposed at the site rather than

miles away.

To obtain underground sandstone process of digging, blasting or cutting is used. This

process is called quarrying and the pit or open excavation from which the stone is obtained is

called Quarry. Once the sandstone is obtained it is further processed to make it final for the use.


The typical process after quarrying involve the following four steps:

• Dressing

• Cutting/sawing

• Surface grinding and polishing and

• Edge-cutting-trimming.

Once the processing is over, the stone is ready for further use. In India there are various

sandstone quarries situated in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, few locations in - Gujarat, Orissa,

Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andaman and Nicobar and many more places.

After a quarry is abandoned, it is usually fenced off or otherwise secured to prevent

people from injuring themselves there. In some cases there may be toxins present at the site,

due to the way in which the rock was extracted. In others, as the quarry slowly fills with

water, it may be a tempting place to swim. However, the quarry may pose hazards to

swimming through objects in the water, depth, coldness, or toxins which may have leached

into the water. In some cases, an inactive quarry may be converted into a swimming area,

with modifications made to create a safe swimming and recreation area.

1.1 DEFINITION OF QUARRY

In archaeological terms, a quarry or mine site is where raw material—stone or metal

ore-was mined for use as building material or tool construction. Quarries are interesting to

archaeologists, because discovering the sources of raw materials found on archaeological

sites tells us ,how far people in the past could and would go for specific purposes, or what

their trade networks might have been like. Evidence at a quarry might also show available

technology in the form of tools left behind and cut marks in the walls of the excavation pits.

quarrying, open, or surface, excavation of rock used for various purposes, including

construction, ornamentation, road building, and as an industrial raw material. Rock that has

been quarried is commonly called stone. Quarrying methods depend chiefly on the desired

size and shape of the stone and its physical characteristics. For industrial use (e.g., limestone

for preparing cement), as the aggregate in concrete, or for road beds, the rock is shattered.


Explosives are detonated in a series of holes drilled in the rock in a pattern designed to yield

the greatest amount of fracturing. The rock fragments may be further reduced in crushing

machines and sorted according to size by screening. For building stone, rocks that do not

shatter are separated by blasting; for softer rocks or when explosives cannot be used (e.g.,

because they would disturb adjacent workings), a process known as broaching, or

channeling, is used. In this process a line of holes is drilled perpendicular to the joints or

cleavage planes of a formation; wedges are inserted into the holes and hammered until the

stone splits off. This method was probably used in ancient times, notably by the Incas and

the Egyptians. Much quarrying of ornamental stone today is done by using pneumatically

operated channelers. After the vertical cuts have been made, gadding machines (working on

the same principle) are used to make horizontal cuts. Wedges are then used to split off the

long blocks, which are subdivided and removed. Wire saws are also used; these consist of

several pulleys over which passes an endless steel wire. Holes are drilled in the rock, each

hole being made large enough to accommodate a pulley and the shaft to which it is attached.

The wire, extending from one pulley to another, presses down against the rock between

them. As the cut is deepened by the constantly moving wire the pulleys are continuously

lowered into the holes.

1.2 MEANING FOR QUARRY

A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted.

Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone,

construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and

asphalt plants due to the requirement for large amounts of aggregate in those materials. The

word quarry can include underground quarrying for stone, such as Bath stone.


1.3 OBJECTIVES:

> To find out the living condition of women working in quarry.

> To find out the educational and health level of the respondent.

> To know the work hazard of women working in quarry.

> To know about the welfare and safety measures of the women working in quarry.

1.4 QUARRYING OFFERS LIVELIHOOD:

Most of the workers are from poor background and illiterates. So they are working as

unskilled workers in the stone quarry. Poverty forced them to take up such hazards job for to

eke out life. In certain family, the bread winner of the family lost life or become addict to

liquor.

This leads to women and women to work in stone quarries for their lively hood. Thus

the child labour menaces growing in the rural area. The intention of implementing

compulsory education could not attain the result indented for.

1.5 HEALTH STATUS OF PEOPLE WORKING IN QUARRY:

Thou quarrying/crushing activities have provided job opportunity still there are ill

effects observed on human health. The people working/residing in and nearby quarries and

crushers suffers common diseases among the workers are head ache, nausea, abdominal

symptoms, body pain, respiratory diseases like asthma, tuberculosis, skin allergies, eye

irritations, cardiac diseases and lung cancer. These diseases are mainly due to the dust and

noise pollution.

1.6 MINERAL RESOURCES IN TAMILNADU:

Tamil Nadu is leading producer of garnet (abrasive), graphite, lignite, magnesite,

lime kankar and dunite. State accounts for country's 81% lignite ,77% vermiculite, 7 0%

dunite , 6 3 % mile , 5 2 %molybdenum, 49% garnet, 33% ilmentie and 24% sillimanite

resources.


Important minerals occurring in the State are bauxite in Dindigul,

Namakkal, Nilgiri and Salem districts; dunite/pyroxenite in Salem district; felspar in

Coimbatore, Dindigul, Erode, Kanchipuram, Karur, Namakkal, Salem and Tiruchirapalli

districts; fireclay in Cuddalore, Kanchipuram, Perambalur, Pudukottai,

Sivaganga, Thiruvallur, Tiruchirapalli, Vellore and Villupuram districts; garnet in

Chidambaram, Kanyakumari, Thanjavur, Tirunelveli and Kottabomman districts; granite in

Dharmapuri, Erode, Kanchipuram, Madurai, N. Arcot & Ambedkar, P. Muthuramalingam,

Salem, Thiruva nnamalai , Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli, Vellore and Villupuram districts;

graphite in Madurai, Ramnathapuram, Shi vganga and Vellore districts and gypsum in

Coimbato re , Perambalur, Ramnathapuram , Tiruchirappalli Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and

Virudhanagar districts.

Lignite deposits are located in Cuddalore Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur,

Nagapattinam and Ramanathapuram districts; limestone in Coimbatore, Cuddalore,

Dindigul, Kanchipuram, Karur, Madurai, Nagapattinam , Namakkal , Perambalur, Salem ,

Thiruvallur, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli, Vellore, Villupuram and Virudhunagar districts;

magnesite in Coimbatore, Dharmapuri, Karur, Namakkal, Nilgiri, Salem, Tiruchirappalli,

Tirunelveli and Vellore districts.

Quartz/silica sand in Chengai -Anna , Chennai , Coimbatore, Cuddalore,

Dharmapuri, Dindigul, Erode, Kanchipuram, Karur, Madurai, Namakkal, Periyar, Peram

balur, Salem , Thiruvallur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam , Tiruchirapalli , Villupuram ,

Virudhunagar and Vellore districts; steatite in Coimbatore, Salem, Tiruchirappalli and

Vellore districts; titanium minerals in Kanyakumari, Nagapattinam, Ramanathapuram,

Thiruvallur, Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts; Vermiculite in Dharmapuri, Tiruchirappalli

and Vellore districts and zircon in Kanyakumari district. Other minerals that occur in the

State are apatite in Dharmapuri and Vellore districts; barytes in Erode, Madurai, Perambalur,

Tirunelveli and Vellore districts.

Bentonite in Chengai-Anna district; calcite in Salem district ; china clay in

Cuddalore, Dharampuri, Kanchipuram , Nilgiri, Sivaganga, Thiruvallur, Tiruvannamalai,

Tiruchirappalli and Villupuram districts; chromite in Coimbatore and Salem districts.

Copper, lead-zinc and silver in Villupuram district; corundum and gold in Dharmapuri

district; dolomite in Salem and Tirunelveli districts; emerald in Coimbatore district.


Iron ore (magnetite) in Dharmapuri, Erode, Nilgiri, Salem, Thiruvannamalai,

Tiruchirappalli and Villupuram districts; kyanite in Kannyakumari and Tirunelveli districts;

molybdenum in Dharmapuri, Dindigul and Vellore districts.

Pyrite in Vellore district; sillimanite in Kanyakumari, Karur and Tirunelveli districts;

tungsten in Madurai and Dindigul districts; and wollastonite in Dharmapuri and Tirunelveli

districts.

1.7 MINERAL RESOURCES IN ERODE DISTRICT:

The district cannot boast a great mineral wealth. However, it has a few varied items

of significance. Feldspar of fine quality is found in abundance. Both opaque and translucent

varieties are found in large quantities. Mica also occurs in Vairavamangalam near Bhavani

and prospecting in recent times have revealed the presence of Muscovite near

Punjai Puliampatti. In a few places in Bhavani and in a few tracts in Perundurai,

Asbestos is found to occur. Most significant of all deposit in the availability of rich iron ore

in Doddacombai forest in Gobichettipalayam. Iron ore from here is found to be very fine

quality being particularly rich in metal. Traces of Gold also have been found in a few

auriferous views in Gobichettipalayam.

1.8 MAJOR MINERAL

Major minerals quartz and Feldspar are occurring in this district mainly in

Kangayam, Dharapuram and Perundurai Taluks. Quarts available here is of good quality and

is used in electronic industry and the Feldspar is consumed by the ceramic industry.

1.9 MINOR MINERALS

1. Black Granite : Black Granite is occurring in Thalavadi, Mallanguli, Thingalur in

Sathyamangalam Taluk and in Bargur and Nerinj ipettai areas of Bhavani Taluk.

Black Granite available is medium black in colour with green background and white

spots.

2. Multi Colour Granite: Multi Colour Granites are found in Mallanguli,

Alambadi, Sivanmalai areas.


3. Rough Stone: Rough stone for construction are available in all the taluks in

particular Roughstone quaries and jalli crushers have been established in

Uthukuli, Kangayam, Ammapettai, Bhavanisagar areas.

4. Sand: Sand deposits are available in Bhavani, Cauveri and Amaravathy river

beds. Sand leases had been granted in Bhavani and Cauveri river beds.

1.10 NO.OF MINING & QUARRYING UNITS IN ERODE DISTRICT

S.No Taluk No.of Mining & Quarrying units1 Erode 202 Perundurai 573 Bhavani 464 Gobichettipalayam 275 Sathyamangalam 596 Kangayam 957 Dharapuram 8

Total 312


The production details of mineral in Erode District is given in the following table.

MINERAL PRODUCTION IN ERODE DISTRICT

SI.No Items Production

1995-96

Quantity in

M.T.

Production

1996-97

Quantity

in

M.T.

Production

1997-98

Quantity in

M.T.

Production

1998-99

Quantity in

M.T.

Production

1999-2000

Quantity in

M.T.

1 Quartz 17530 24760 17280 16260 16168.7662 Feldspar 4820 8750 6410 3950 6221.403 Roughstone 5859 35620 44349 49793 68637.504 Sand 7527 21309 13370 35648 297385 Black

Granite in

cbm.

1575.804 2163.552 2253.416 2045.866 2476.712

6 Colour

Granite in

cbm.

243.744 514.826 605.002 531.491 301.402


CHAPTER-II

2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE

2.1 INTRODUCTION

Review of literature helps the researcher by providing sufficient reading materials

and literature available in the subject of research. Formulation of the aim and objective of

the study and most important it provides wide and extensive study materials for the research.

Women and their problems have attracted the attention of scholars and writers for a

long time. Many studies have been conducted on the problems faced by working women

both married and unmarried. There is a vast volume of literature on the topic, very few of the

studies conducted however throw light on the prevailing trend in the employment of women

in stone quarries.

According to G. Palanidurai in the year 2001, in his studies empowering women

conducted in southern district of Tamilnadu, the women laborers toiling in the stone quarries

illustrate their hard efforts for their daily meals. The women have been working as a bonded

labour in stone quarries. Their earning were enough only for one square meal and the debts

went on increasing considerably. None of them could run their family well.

A Study conducted by Smita Das in the year 2005 on refugees management, reveals

that most of the Srilankan women refugees get themselves engaged in stone quarry work for

meager wages. The refugees were subjected to physical abuses extra working hours for low

wages.

A study conducted by P. Mahadevan (Mine labour production Campaign) and Dr.

Sanjay Raj in the year December 2000, on problems faced by quarry laborers reports that

under the constitution of India, labour is on the "Concurrent list" . This means that both the

Union and State Government enact legislation in benefit of works safety, health and welfare

of workers in quarries are regulated by the Mines Act 1952. Disputes are regulated under

different acts and rules. Despite all theses safeguards, quarry workers are heavily exploited.

Laborers are exploited in number of ways particularly women workers subjected to untold

hardship.

A study conducted by the UNION GOVT by Morgan O. Reynolds (1994) in the 2nd

Edition of the Library Economics Liberty and on the basis of a random sample but including

all types of mines, revealed that there has been a marked decline in the participation of


woman workers in the mining industry, during 1941-775 and there is an over-all tall both in

number as well as in the % of the total labour force. According to the report, the decline in

women's employment in due to the prohibition on underground work interaction of labour-

saving devices technological improvements in the methods of production rise in the wages

of women workers and extra burden on the employers on account of sati stony requirements

of provisions concerning woman workers.

According to P.K. GHOSH in the year 2008 while they don’t have any district information

about women workers in India so far, the sudation other countries have constantly shown

that woman workers are not more satisfied with their job then are men. P.K.Ghosh in his

investigation in a synthetic jewel manufacturing facture in Gujarat found the girl operators to

have great job satisfactions than boys. In such circumstances the reason for grater

satisfaction of woman may be that they have less ambition and financial needs.

According to The legal service network of India, has published in its report that the status

of Indian women has undergone considerable change. Though Indian women are far more

independent and aware of their legal rights, such as right to work, equal treatment, property

and maintenance, a majority of women remain unaware of these rights. There are other

factors that affect their quality of life such as age of marriage, extent of literacy, role in the

family and so on. In many families, women do not have a voice in anything while in several

families; the women may have a dominating role. The result is that the empowerment of

women in India is highly unbalanced and with huge gaps. Those who are economically

independent and literate live the kind of life that other women tend to envy about. This

disparity is also a cause for worry because balanced development is not taking place.

Discrimination at Workplace

However, Indian women still face blatant discrimination at their workplaces. A

major problem faced by the working women is sexual harassment at the work place.

Further, women employees working in night shift are more vulnerable to such incidents.

Nurses, for example, face this problem nearly every day. There is nothing that is done in

hospitals to tackle and address the danger they face. Such blatant disregard of current Indian

laws is one reason why sexual harassment at the workplace continues to increase.


Also, Indian women are often deprived of promotions and growth opportunities at

work places but this doesn't apply to all working women. A majority of working women

continue to be denied their right to equal pay, under the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 and

are underpaid in comparison to their male colleagues. This is usually the case in factories

and labor-oriented industries.

Azad Indian foundation in the year 2010 has reported the investigation conducted

by that is an open truth that working women have to face problems just by virtue of their

being women. Working women here are referred to those who are in paid employment.

Social attitude to the role of women lags much behind the law. But even if well qualified

women engineers or managers or geologists are available, preference will be given to a male

of equal qualification. A gender bias creates an obstacle at the recruitment stage itself. When

it comes to remuneration the law proclaims equality but it is seldom put into practice.

The inbuilt conviction that women are capable of less work than men or less efficient than

men governs this injustice of unequal salaries and wages for the same job. The age old belief

of male superiority over women creates several hurdles for women at their place of work.

She has to almost always shoulder the burden of household chores as well. A woman could

still bear up with these problems if she had control over the money she earns. But in most

families even now her salary is handed over to father, husband or in-laws. So the basic

motive for seeking employment of getting independence is nullified in many women s

case.


CHAPTER.III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1. RESEARCH DESIGN:

The research design used is exploratory research studies whose purpose is

that the formulation a problem for more precise investigation.

Research design is purely and simply the framework or plan for a study that

guides the collection and analysis of data. The function of it’s to provide relevant

information with minimum expenditure, effort and time.

3.2. SAMPLING DESIGN:

SAMPLE MEANING:

Sample is procedure adopted for selecting a few among the many. It’s done so when

it is not possible to contact all the unit of the population.

It is a time saving and money saving method of collecting data. The sample selected

should truly represent the characteristics of population. In case the sample doesn’t represent

the population it is defective sampling.

Sample is done in production management for testing the quality of product. Very

few units are selected for testing if the sample is founded up to standard, the entire lot of

population accepted. Otherwise the lot is rejected.

SAMPLING DESIGN:

All the items under consider in any field of survey constitute a universe or

population. A complete enumeration of all items in a population is known as censes

enquiry .but census enquiry is not possible in practice. So sampling design is undertaken. It

is a definite plan determined before any data are actually collected for obtained sample for

given population.

3.3. SAMPLING PROCEDURE:

Convenience sampling technique was used to select respondents. The convenience

sampling in one in which the only criterion for selection of sampling units according to the

convenience of the researcher.


3.4. SAMPLE SIZE:

90 stone quarry workers were selected for research study according to the

convenience of the researcher.

3.5. SAMPLING UNITES:

The sample unit for this research study consists of working women in any age in

stone quarry coming under the Erode District.

3.6. COLLECTION OF DATA:

Primary data:

A list of questions prepared for the purpose of conducting the survey. The questions

were of multiple-choice types. The women quarry workers filled in the schedules. Likert

scale was used as the rating scale in the questions.

Secondary data:

The secondary data has been collected from reference books, brochures, leaflets and

websites

3.7. STATISTICAL TOOLS USED:

The data collections by questionnaire method were subjected to various analyses.

1. PERCENTAGE ANALYSIS (%)

PERCENTAGE ANALYSIS:

The collected primary data from 90 respondents were analyzed using simple

percentage method. To find out the percentage of respondents, the respondents were

classified into different factors like age gender etc… the extent of satisfaction level of the

respondents under each classification was also found out.


CHAPTER-IV - ANALYSIS AND

INTERPRETATION

CHAPTER-V SUMMARY-FINDINGS,

SUGGESTION, CONCLUSION


QUESTIONNAIRE

(This Questionnaire is only framed for Working Women in Stone Quarries)

[Please put a tick mark at appropriate boxes or columns]

NAME: …………………………………………………………..

Age (in years): Below 25 [ ] 26-30 [ ] 31-35 [ ] 36-40 [ ]

41-45 [ ] above 46 [ ]

Qualification : Educated [ ] Uneducated [ ]

Marital Status: Married [ ] Unmarried [ ] Divorced [ ] Widow [ ]

Please tick in any one of the alternatives SA, A, N, DA or SD which you feel correct

in your opinion against each statement.

Note: SA -Strongly Agree A - Agree N - Neither agrees nor disagrees

DA – Disagree SD - Strongly Disagree

Working Environment SA A N DA SD

1.The working hours are comfortable

2.The work load is excessive

3. The rest intervals are adequate

4.The work place is free from dust and pollution

Relationship with Superiors SA A N DA SD

5. My superior treat me properly in Work

6. My superiors never treat me in any other

Sexual tortures

Relationship with Colleagues SA A N DA SD

7. There is cordial relationship with my

colleagues in stone quarry area

Motivation and Recognition SA A N DA SD


8. I find my job interest and prospective

Salary SA A N DA SD

9. Day wages is adequate under current cost

Welfare Facilities in Stone Quarry Area SA A N DA SD

10. The food facilities are adequate

11. The transport facilities are adequate

12. The safety provisions are adequate

13. Medical facilities are adequate

14. Any Loans are provided by the Contractors

Jobs in Stone Quarry SA A N DA SD

15.Whether Stone quarry job per month is

available under your feasible days

General Problems Yes No

16. Whether your family shows any negative sign for allowing you to

this stone quarry work.

17. Is your health condition is normal?

18. [If you are married and living with your husband]

Are you Pregnant?

19. Are you Sick in any health problems?

20. Are you a bond worker?

21. Whether your earnings are enough to run your family?

22. Whether your children’s are educated or un-educated?


REFERENCES

1. G.Palanidurai. (May 2001). Report & Recommendations of Second State Finance

Commission Tamil Nadu.

Available: http://www.tnrd.gov.in/reports/II_SFC_final_en.pdf.

2. Sumita Dass. (2005). Refugee management: Sri Lankan refugges in Tamil Nadu,

1983-2000.Available: http://books.google.co.in

3. P. Mahadevan & Sanjay Raj. (Dec 2000). Workers’ Rights and Labour Laws.

Available: http://www.heptanesia.net/documents/labourlaws.pdf.

4. Morgan O. Reynolds. (2nd Edition 1994). Union Government. Available:

http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/LaborUnions.html.

5. Dr . P. K. Ghosh, Visva-Bharat. (Volume 1, Issue 1, August, 2008.). e-Journal A

publication of NAPSWI.

Available: http://www.napswionline.org/documents/E_Journal.pdf.

6. Miscellaneous Legal Articles. (July 17th, 2010). Problems Faced by Working

Women in India . Available: http://www.legalindia.in/problems-faced-by-working-

women-in-india. Last accessed 24/11/2011.

7. AZAD INDIA FOUNDATION. (2010). Problems of working women. Available:

http://azadindia.org/social-issues/problems_of_working_women.html. Last accessed

24/11/2011.

http://www.legalindia.in/problems-faced-by-working-women-in-india.%20Last%20accessed%2024/11/2011

http://www.legalindia.in/problems-faced-by-working-women-in-india.%20Last%20accessed%2024/11/2011

http://www.heptanesia.net/documents/labourlaws.pdf

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Documents

stone quarry work

da sd

sexual harassment

dimension stone

indian women

sampling design

rough stone

research design