Tea Plantation Labour in India from two sources. Half the lines get water from the public taps installed by the Department of Public Health Engineering (PHE) of the State Government. The management provides water through cemented tanks which are situated in the lines where PHE water supply is not available. The roads in the labour lines are motorable. ‘ Sanitation Darjeeling hills face the problem of water shortage, The sanitary system in the plantations is affected due to this. Hence it is not possible to have pucca latrines with flush system in the plantations. The common type of latrine is the bore-hole latrine, A deep hole is dug in the latrine area and after use some mud is thrown to cover it up. This is locally known as the ‘Gaddha’ (hole) system, This type of latrine is common in the plantations. The management of G6 did not think it necessary to construct latrines. The workers had made Gaddha latrines on their own. They constructed the type they could afford, The Gaddha toilets need walls for privacy. This could be of tin or Jjute cloth. A roof is also needed. If workers do not have sufficient resources the walls are made of cloth with no roof. The drainage system in the lines is almost non-existent. The sanitary facilities in G7 is comparatively better, Here too there are Gaddha latrines but these have been provided by the management. ­Each quarter, whether pucca or kuchcha, has a toilet. The management provides the raw materials and wages of two workers every year for maintenance of the toilets. The drainage system is good as most lines had cemented drains. G8, on the other hand, is similar to G6 in this aspect. Though the management has built the latrines there has been no maintenance since the past six years. The drainage system is better than that of G6 as there are some kuchcha drains in the lnes. Creche G6 had a creche with three attendants. The children are given some refreshments during the day. G7 had three creches which had two attendants in each of them. Eachi childis given 250 ml milk every day. The? creches have kitchenettes for heating the milk. G8 has two creches which have two‘ attendants in each, The creche does not provide any 64 . Tea Plantation Workers in West Bengal refreshments and the mothers have to provide these. The management gives a paltry sum of Rs. 10 per month to each mother to procure milk for the child. Health Facilities G6 has neither a hospital nor a dispensary. The workers are expected to consult doctors and procure medicines at their own expense. The garden has a compounder and a nurse on its rolls, but the workers said that they were untrained and had no work experience. In cases of emergency when hospitalisation is needed, the management provides a jeep to take the sick or injured to a public hospital in Darjeeling, G8 has a hospital with six beds. It also has a qualified full-time doctor who is assisted by five health assistants, three females and two males. The garden does not have a nurse or a compounder. The health ' assistants perform these duties. The medical facilities in G7 appear better from outside. The garden has a hospital with two separate wards for males and females, each having six beds. There is also a delivery room. Bathroom and toilet facilities exist separately for both sexes. (G8’s hospital has common facilities.) Despite this impressive exterior, the garden does not have the most crucial element—a full-time doctor. Doctors from the Dooars­Darjeeling Medical Association visit the garden once a week. There is alsono nurse. There are three health assistants (female) who look after the hospital and provide first aid. Medicines for simple illness are available in the garden hospital. Those requiring intensive treatment are sent to Darjeeling and the expenses are borne by the management. In case of haspitalisation, the management pays half the expenses and the rest are collected from the worker in instalments (this is against the rules, as the PLA and the State rules make it mandatory for the management to provide for all medical expenses). Education G6hasa primary school with four rooms. At the time of survey, there were six teachers, four females and two males. The school is well maintained and the teachers are regular. For post-primary education, the children have to go to schools in Darjeeling. The management does 65