Nearly 3,600 children from poor families in dysfunctional tea gardens in India's eastern state of West Bengal have been trafficked to West Asia and other Indian states to work mostly as child laborers, according to a study carried out in 2010-2011 by UNICEF, an NGO and Burdwan University.

The study, which was carried out across 12 tea gardens, shows that 317 children were reported to be missing during the period under review. Ninety-four out of the 317 were teenage girls who were suspected of being sold to brothels.

Apart from the state of Delhi, large numbers have migrated to the southern state of Kerala (546), northeast state of Sikkim (410) , northern state of Punjab (402) other Indian states as well as neighboring country Bhutan (267).

Thirteen children have been trafficked to Saudi Arabia where they are suspected to be used in camel races and later, when injured, used as beggars near the holy mosque at Mecca.

The study, entitled "Vulnerability of Children in Closed and Sick Tea Gardens in Jalpaiguri District of West Bengal," was undertaken from May to July 2011 in 12 tea estates.

It reviewed the overall conditions of the tea gardens and the factors impinging on the rights of children. Ten of the tea estates are either sick or closed while only two are operating.

Interestingly, the findings reveal that better operational tea gardens like Chulsa and Sateli have lesser incidents of child trafficking.

The study brings to light the deficiencies in education infrastructure, mid-day meal, health facilities and other basic amenities like electricity that make the difficulties encountered by children in the tea gardens more pronounced.

Among the 12 tea gardens surveyed, there is no child welfare center in two gardens. Three tea estates have secondary level schools (Classes V to X) and two estates have high schools.

Teacher shortage and irregular attendance of teachers are among the major shortcomings in the tea estates. Moreover, the medium of instruction, Nepali, was not something that the students were comfortable with.

Infrastructure facilities like housing have remained a major problem. Out of the 12 estates surveyed only three have electricity.

According to the study, unhealthy living conditions and lack of water and sanitation have contributed to the health hazards among the children. Water-borne diseases are also common occurrences, the study claims.

Muddy roads, lack of transport, and long commutes made things difficult for students from these tea estates.

The study also shows that while four of the 12 estates have arranged transport facilities, students have to pay for using such facilities.

Financial assistance, that include unemployment benefits, and non-cash benefits like outstanding entitlements and supply of rations are also hard to come by, the study reveals.

While supply of food is irregular, the quality of food grain is also poor. Other necessities such as firewood, kerosene and aprons are not provided regularly.

Even when, "the new management of re-opened gardens takes over the responsibility of the garden, it does not care for outstanding entitlements of provident fund, gratuity and other benefits," the study says.

Of the 12 tea gardens, 8 have hospitals or dispensaries ( ranging from 2 to 20), while health sub-centers are present in all the tea gardens.

The health sub-centers operate only three days a week.

According to the study, only two of the garden hospitals have doctors while health services in six other garden hospitals are provided by paramedical personnel.

On an average, patients need to travel 10 to 15 km to avail of health services in government-owned facilities for major ailments.