Vol. XVI Issue 2 April - June 2012 2012 Documentation ... - Nipccd

23. SATHI (Society for Assistance to Children on Difficult
Situation, Bangalore. (2009).
Baseline survey of children on railway platforms Surat railway station.
Bangalore : SATHI.18p.
www.sathiindia.org
Background: Surat in Gujarat, has emerged as an important industrial town in
the country. The presence of industries attract people in search of work from all
over the country. Surat Railway Station is a transit point for more than 60 trains
every day. Most of the children arrive at Surat by trains.
Objectives: To estimate the number of children staying at Surat Railway Station;
to estimate the average number of children arriving at Surat Railway Station in a
month; to find out the duration of their stay at Surat Station; to identify the
source states of children arriving at Surat and the push-pull factors influencing
the child’s decision.
Methods: Data was gathered from all the children found at the Surat railway
station. The study team contacted 159 children at Surat station in four days.
Findings: Of the total 159 respondents, 40 per cent had mentioned that they had
left home for the first time; 36 per cent had ran away two to three times and 24
per cent of them had mentioned that they have left home more than three times;
22 per cent of the respondents were found staying for more than one year at the
station; 34 per cent of the respondents, duration stay was from two months to
one year; 13 per cent said that they have been staying from 10 days to a month
and 31 per cent of the children comprised of those whose duration at the station
was less than 10 days. The team had come across with 23 new children with 1
day stay duration in Surat; 55 per cent of the children found in Surat Railway
Station belonged to the age group of 11-14 years of age; 29 per cent belonged
to 15-18 years of age and 16 per cent were less than 10 years of age; in all the
three number of times ran away categories majority of them were in the 11 – 14
years of age group ; among the first timers 52 per cent were of 11-14 years of
age, in the second and third times 57 per cent and in third timers 58 per cent. In
less than 10 years of age group, there is a decrease in running away times.
First timers are 18 per cent, second and third timers are 15 per cent and third
plus are 13 per cent. From the contacted children 30 per cent were from
Gujarat, 23 per cent from Maharashtra, 13 per cent from Madhya Pradesh and 4
per cent each from Orissa and Rajasthan. Majority of the children were from
Gujarat and its neighbouring states- Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
Majority of the children arriving at Surat were in search of employment (42%)
followed by 24 per cent who left home because of abuse by the family members
or relatives; 16 per cent left home because of city attraction. 59 per cent
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DCWC Research Bulletin Vol. XVI April - June 2012