Over 7,000 Child Labourers Rescued in 5 Years

2,245 children rescued in 2024 alone; Chittoor district recorded highest number of child labour rescues with 258

- KAVYA CHALLA @Vijayawada

As many as 7,069 children in the State were rescued from child labour between 2020 and 2024. Of them, 2,245 children were rescued in 2024 alone, marking the highest annual rescue count in recent years, according to data from the Women and Child Welfare Department.

In 2020, 671 children were rescued, while the number rose to 1,028 in 2021. The trend continued upward, with 1,229 children rescued in 2022, followed by a sharp increase to 1,895 in 2023.

The rising number of rescues indicates both the grim prevalence of child labour and the increased enforcement efforts by authorities to combat this social evil.