Narrator: It takes dozens of people to make a single glass bangle. They're crafted inside
blazing hot furnaces. At those soaring temperatures,
the glass is thin like water. And if they're not careful ... Narrator: Workers here face temperatures as high as 2,000 degrees
Fahrenheit all day long. Narrator: Millions of women across
India wear such bangles every day, and the city of Firozabad is the biggest manufacturer in the world. Artisans churn out 1.2
million bangles a day at Satyanarayan Glass Works. So why are bangles still made this way? And what makes this such a risky business? Vimal Kumar Yadiv has been
working at the factory for the last 17 years. It all starts with craftsmen
sifting through silica sand, which is the main ingredient for bangles. Then they add in any
scraps of leftover glass, like broken bottles or damaged bangles. The entire factory is filled
with tiny glass particles. And women are constantly sweeping the broken bangles from the floor. These scraps of glass
are melted down again and recycled to make new bangles. But the glass pieces can
damage the workers' vision, even blind them. And no one here wears a mask, so they're also breathing
in the glass dust. A study shows that 23% of bangle workers suffer from chronic bronchitis. Next, the mix is melted down in a furnace that reaches 2,000 degrees
Fahrenheit or hotter. Narrator: Despite fans roaring,
the air is stifling here. Workers keep drinking water
to stay hydrated and carry on. After 10 hours, the glass
turns into this runny liquid. It's then mixed with color. They contain traces of metals, like lead, cadmium, and even mercury. And workers are constantly
exposed to those fumes. Craftsmen then moved the molten glass to another part of the factory. This step can be dangerous, and Vimal says sometimes accidents happen. Narrator: Vimal operates this machine that rolls the spirals of the bangles. That's risky, too. The bangles are steaming hot when they're removed from this rod, but no one's wearing gloves. Most workers rely on
experience to stay safe, according to factory owner Anshul Gupta. Narrator: Machines could
make the job safer, but workers have rejected
them in the past. Narrator: The glass bangle
factories of Firozabad are also major polluters. The city is about 30 miles
away from the Taj Mahal. In 2015, authorities
said smoke from Firozabad was the main reason the
white marble of the Taj was turning yellow. Many artisans worried that the
workshops would be shut down. Instead, the factories were ordered to stop burning coal and use natural gas. Today, 500,000 craftsmen work
in the industry in Firozabad at over 100 workshops. Narrator: Glass bangles are
the city's biggest export, bringing in $150 million a year in sales. Women make $6 a day, toiling away in these small
workshops close to the factory. They lay each bangle over a flame. The fire melts the edges and
binds the glass together, and the bangle is ready to be decorated. Some of these intricate patterns
can take hours to finish. This craftsman is using
a special kind of paint to glue several pin bangles together. A lot of the ornamental
work is done at home, often by younger workers
who earn very little. Child labor is banned in the factories, but kids still help their
families when they can. Narrator: Soni Yadiv is 18
years old. Dali Yadiv is 15. They're Vimal's two daughters. Narrator: After an eight-hour shift, Vimal himself makes about $9 a day. He says it's barely enough to put his four children through school. To make a little more cash on the side, Vimal tends to buffaloes. Narrator: He hopes that one day he
can start another milk business. Narrator: For all the risks involved, the end product is not expensive. Narrator: A set of 12 bangles
can range from $1 to $13, depending on how fancy it is. Narrator: Despite all of the risks, VImal says the industry is crucial for everyone in Firozabad.
