Saharsa, Sept. 21: Preliminary surveys conducted by Bachpan Bachao Andolan, a voluntary organisation fighting for the cause of children in the Kosi region, have shown that incidences of child trafficking are on the rise.

Recurring floods, limited agriculture activities and loss of employment opportunities have prompted the traffickers to lure children from poor families with promises of bright economic prospects, said Ghooran Mahto, the state rehabilitation convener of Bachpan Bachao Andolan.

He alleged that the traffickers offer a meagre amount to the guardians and take away the children to engage them in agriculture and industrial work in Punjab, Delhi, Chhattisgarh and other states.

On September 5, five children hailing from Purainibasa Tola of Alam Nagar in Madhepura district, who were being sent to Amritsar, were rescued by the Government Railway Police (GRP) at Saharsa railway station, said Mahto.

He added that the children were promised monthly wages of Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 for irrigation and cattle grazing work in Punjab. The children were later handed over to their guardians.

On September 1, around 17 child labourers in the age group of 8 to 14 were rescued from the clutches of traffickers by the GRP with assistance from members of Bachpan Bachao Andolan, Mahto said.

“Although the touts fled on seeing the police, the child labourers being sent to work in factories in Punjab were rescued from the Amritsar-bound Jan Seva Express,” he said.

The rescued children admitted that they were going to Punjab with the consent of their parents. The touts, according to the children, had promised Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 as monthly wages, said an officer at Saharsa GRP station.

On June 27, 12 children were recovered from an autorickshaw near Sonebarsa Kuchehri railway station.

Two traffickers, taking the minor boys to Raipur (Chhattisgarh) were arrested, Mahto added.

He said more than 1,500 child labourers lured by the traffickers, had been rescued mostly from railway stations during the past five years. Child trafficking incidents had increased after the Kosi floods of 2008.

“In most cases, the traffickers take away the children with the consent of the parents. Poverty and poor job opportunities in the region force the parents to send their children to distant places to eke a living,” he said.