The sewers of Dhaka, Bangladesh's overcrowded and polluted capital city, are as unpleasant as you could imagine. But they are also an incredible source of income for a small group of men who do not mind getting their hands dirty. They earn their living by finding tiny specks of gold that are accidentally brushed into the open sewers that run alongside the narrow streets of Dhaka's historic gold bazaar.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7535229.stm
Check out this NPR audio slideshow report: The Ninja Miners of Mongolia Japan's NHK also visited these people and did a recent documentary for Japanese TV, though I haven't yet located a web link for this program.
Not much different from the new age "prospectors" who quit their jobs and pan for gold in mountain streams in the U.S. They are lucky if they make enough to pay for supplies.
Nightline reports on modern day gold rush Modern-Day Gold Rush: Recession spurs new interest in Gold panning in California 3/29/09 Gold Diggin': Panning for the precious metal pay off with current sky-high gold prices. 10/24/2008
