New Delhi: Twenty child labourers have been rescued from zari (embroidery) units and roadside eateries in south Delhi on Tuesday.

A statement from Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) said, "Twenty child labourers were rescued from Garhi Gaon in the Amar Colony police station area. They were mostly rescued from zari units and some from dhabas. They were trafficked from the state of Bihar and West Bengal.”

Activists of BBA had assisted police and officials of the labour department in the rescue operation.

The children are in the 8-14 age group.

According to the statement, the children were brought by middlemen who lured them with promises of a better life in Delhi.

It said "But when they reached here, the reality was totally different. They had to work for more than 10-12 hours everyday without proper food and rest.”

It said "Some of them narrated how they were beaten up by their employer when they were unable to accomplish their task on time. Some even said that they had to stay empty stomach.”

Farhan, all of eight years of age, is the youngest of the rescued children. He said: "I am very happy that I don't have to work anymore. I want to go to school.”

The units where the children were working were situated in narrow lanes. The statement said the rooms where they worked were unhygienic and the children had to eat and sleep in the same room.

During the rescue operation, six employers were arrested and eight factories were sealed.