India's 'village of widows'

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The state of Rajasthan produces 70 percent of the sandstone in India. Much of it is exported overseas to countries like Germany and the United Kingdom for use in construction and landscaping. But many of the labourers who work in Rajasthan's sandstone mines have paid a deadly price. In the village of Budhpura, the majority of men have died from a lung disease called silicosis. The place has become known as the "village of widows". Health experts say it is a result of inhaling small dust particles from the rocks. Many of the sandstone mines operate on a small scale, so the sector is largely unorganised. That leaves millions of labourers with little to no education or protection vulnerable to silicosis. But as the only industry in the area, villagers have no choice but to work in these mines in order to feed their families.

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