Tea Plantation Labour in India The two gardens in Jorhat have in all 939 labour quarters of which only 289 (30.77 per cent) are pucca. The remaining 650 (69.22 per cent) were kuccha quarters. As against this, the number of pucca quarters stood at 696 (85.92 per cent) out of 810 labour quarters in Dibrugarh. This meant only 114 quarters were still kuccha. The floor of all labour quarters in both the districts is kuccha. The roofs used in two of the gardens were tin, asbestos and thatch. In Jorhat, 72 heads of households were of the view that accommodation was very inadequate. The other 28 thought it to be adequate maybe due to the fact that Jorhat tea gardens have a very large number of kuccha houses which require regular repairing. In Dibrugarh the feeling was somewhat different. Whereas 54 heads of households thought it to be adequate, 47 heads of households thought otherwise. It is to be noted that the tea garden population has grown considerably and that accommodation of specifications made decades ago is found inadequate in a changed situation. Also aspirations of the people in view of exposure with the outside world has brought about much change in their outlook and style of life, It is not surprising then that many find the accommodation inadequate. In fact of the 40 respondents, 20 respondents complained of space shortage, It is on this count that a large number of households tend to enlarge the space by making their own constructions. There have also been many complaints about leakage, broken doors and windows, lack of verandah, . uncleanliness of labour lines, ete, With regard to sanitation it may be noted that toilet facilities are almost nil in Jorhat. As many as 89 households have no toilet; and of the 11 households with toilets, 10 were (at the time of survey) not usable. In Dibrugarh almost all households are provided with toilets, though 65 of these were, at the time, not usable. Water and Sanitation v th e a n n J w o i r t h h at r . eg I a n rd one to o civic amenities, Dibrugarh district is better placed f the gardens of Jorhat, supply of water is meagre. 'In another, the major Sources are taps but the existing facilities scemed nadequate. In Dibrugarh, the major source of water are tubewells. On an average, bet 8-9 houscholds use one tubewell. Toilet facilities too are ter in Dibrugarh than in Jorhat. In both the districts the re is, 34 e Living Conditions of Tea Estate Labourers in Assam however, no provision for urinals. As for enclosures to be used for bath by women, Dibrugarh had 114 as against none in Jorhat.(See Table 13) TABLE 13 Civic Amenities in the Four Gardens Civic facilities Taps Tubewells Ring wells Houses using tubewell Toilets Urinals Enclogures Jorhat A B Nil 127 2 N%l Nil Nil —— Nil 128 il Nil il Nil Dibrugarh C D Nil Nil 89 7? Nil Nil 8-9 7-8 33.6 21.3 Nil Nil 50 64 Medical Facilities In medical facilities, the gardens surveyed are more or less unifo?m, except in one where conditions are deplorable. There ig no hospital in this garden and a part time doctor visits the garden thrufe in a weelk, The garden does not have even midwives and health assistants, The facilities in the other gardens are broadly satisfactory.(See Table 14) TABLE 14 Medical facilities Haspital Dispensary Daclors Pharmacist Nurse Midwife Health assistant Beds in hospitals A Nil 1 1(part time) 1 1 Nil Nil 2 Jorhat B 1 2 1 3 3 2 1 30 Dibrugarh ¢ D N.11 1 i: ]i. !: . N N1; 11 L: 5 36