843 women undergo uterus removal, 1,523 worked pregnant in Beed’s sugarcane fields: Report
Beed: A recent health report has revealed alarming findings about the conditions faced by women sugarcane labourers in Maharashtra’s Beed district. According to the data, 843 women, mostly aged between 30 and 35, have undergone hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus), while 1,523 women were found to be pregnant during the harvesting season.
Beed district, often referred to as the sugarcane cutter labourers’ hub, sees an annual migration of nearly 1.75 lakh workers, including 78,000 women, to sugarcane fields across Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Karnataka. These workers leave during the Diwali season and return by March or April.
The health report, compiled as part of government check-ups conducted before departure and after return, has triggered state-level concern. Among the 843 hysterectomy cases, 477 involved women aged between 30 and 35 who reported issues like excessive bleeding, infections, and abdominal pain. The health department said 279 surgeries were performed privately with the approval of government doctors.
Disturbingly, 1,523 pregnant women, listed on the Maternal and Child Welfare Portal, were forced to work in the fields carrying sickles while carrying children in the womb. The report also noted widespread anaemia, with 3,415 women found suffering due to iron, B12, and folic acid deficiencies, as well as conditions like thalassemia and post-surgery blood loss.
Health screenings were carried out for 46,231 women before their migration. Health cards were issued, and Women Health Action Groups have been set up in 1,132 villages to monitor migrant women labourers.
Dr. Sachin Shekde, Maternal and Child Welfare Officer, confirmed the findings and said routine screenings have documented the surgeries and pregnancies, exposing the severe economic and health vulnerabilities of women in the sugarcane sector.
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Double-decker electric bus gutted in fire at Kurla BEST depot
Mumbai (PTI): An empty double-decker electric bus was gutted in a fire during servicing at a BEST depot in Mumbai's Kurla area on Sunday, officials said, adding that nobody was injured.
The blaze broke out inside the Kurla BEST bus depot near Kanakia Building at 4.14 pm, according to preliminary information from the Mumbai Fire Brigade.
The parked bus was unoccupied at the time of the incident.
Fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control. The exact cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained, they said.
No injuries were reported in the incident, officials added.
The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking has hired 50 electric double-decker buses from Switch Mobility in its fleet of around 2,700 buses.
