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.