Post flood situation in Sindh compelled farmers to fall into debt bondage: HWA.

HYDERABAD -- The Hari Welfare Association (HWA), a non-profit working to protect the rights of the peasants, has raised the alarm

that the post-flood situation in Sindh is compelling the farmers to fall into the trap of debt bondage.

At a press conference at Hyderabad press club on Saturday HWA's president Akram Ali Khaskheli claimed that a rise in the number of cases of bonded labourers had been witnessed recently.

He informed that the courts of law set free 190 bonded labourers including 56 children and 63 women in the months of January and February this year, adding that the sudden rise of such cases reflected a far larger problem underneath.

He said in accordance with the Sindh Bonded Labour Labour System Abolition Act, 2015, the provincial government was supposed to set up and activate District Vigilance Committees (DVCs) in all districts of Sindh but only 14 DVCs had been established so far.

According to him, the DVCs could monitor the bonded labour situation, maintain coordination with the district administration, monitor enforcement of the Act and help rehabilitate the freed...