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India brick industry: Calls to improve working conditions

4 January 2014 Last updated at 00:28 GMT

Campaigners are calling for more to be done about the appalling human cost of India's brick industry.

The brick kilns that supply the country's booming construction sector - used for buildings owned not only by Indian companies but also by British ones and multinationals - are a crucial part of India's growing economy.

There are more than 2 million brick workers in India.

Many kilns use bonded labourers working in conditions of near-slavery earning at best around £1.50 for a 12-hour day.

Many suffer ill health from the acrid smoke from the kilns and harsh working conditions leading campaigners to call the bricks they make "blood bricks" .

Humphrey Hawksley reports from the Indian city of Hyderabad.