Watch: HIV positive girls used by orphanage as scavengers

Even as child labour and manual scavenging were banned in the country, an orphanage in Uppal was caught red-handed using HIV positive girl children to clean septic tank. Local BJP leaders who have shot the video have submitted it to the state Balala Hakkula Sangham which in turn alerted the city police commissioner for action.

The Agape Children Home which has separate homes for boys and girls many of them infected by HIV virus has round 235 girl children mostly in the age group of 12 years. As per the video a girl in the age group of 12 years wearing a red dress with grey scarf covering her face was seen standing inside a manhole taking out the excreta and water in a mug and pouring it out. Many other girls were also surrounding her with scarves covering their noses while some one ordering them to clean the muck fast.

“We have been witnessing this too often and no one bothered about or complaints, this time we got video evidence,” a neighbor said. According to Y. Narasimha Reddy, Inspector Uppal police station a case has been registered against the warden for violation of Child Labour Act and section 75 of Juvenile Justice Act.

Meanwhile, Achyuta Rao of state child rights body all the 12 girls put to work at the man hole were HIV patients. “We even got news that they were fed only on alternative days. We demand the Telangana government to close these homes and put the children in government homes,” Rao said. Rao further said that few girls were found sweeping the home when they reached there to verify the compliant.