News: Rajasthan has announced the creation of a Pneumoconiosis Fund.
Facts:
About Pneumoconiosis Fund:
- The fund will be majorly financed by money from the District Mineral Foundation (DMF). The fund will be operating Rajasthan’s Social Justice and Empowerment Department
- The fund will be used to finance a comprehensive policy on Pneumoconiosis, recently released by the Rajasthan government.
About Pneumoconiosis:
- Pneumoconiosis is the general term for a class of interstitial lung diseases (the tissue and space around the alveoli) where inhalation of dust has caused interstitial fibrosis.
- It is occupational health disease and mostly affects workers who work in the mining and construction sectors.
- Depending upon the type of dust, the disease is given different names:
- Coal worker’s pneumoconiosis (also known as miner’s lung, black lung or anthracosis) — coal, carbon
- Asbestosis — asbestos
- Silicosis (also known as “grinder’s disease”) – silica dust.
Additional Information:
District Mineral Foundation (DMF):
- It is a trust set up as a non-profit body, in those districts affected by the mining works. It works for the interest and benefit of persons and areas affected by mining related operations.
- It is funded through the contributions from miners.
- Its manner of operation comes under the jurisdiction of the relevant State Government.
- Setting up of District Mineral Foundations (DMFs) in all districts in the country affected by mining related operations was mandated through the Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Amendment Act, (MMDRA) 2015
