Life in the Wastelands by Debmalya Ray Choudhuri
“Every day the city generates tons of waste and it goes to Dhapa…”
From the photographer:
“Life in the Wastelands” addresses a crucial problem in our society in India, concerning the oppressed and minority community. It is is part of a sustainable human development long term project that I have adopted, based on a serious environmental and human development concern in India, beginning with a serious problem in Kolkata which political parties have mostly unattended so far. Kolkata is one of the most important economic and cultural hubs of India. Every day the city generates tons of waste and it goes to Dhapa, a dumping ground that hardly bears a semblance of being a part of the busy metropolitan city.
The main intent for my project is to put forth the lives of these people, important yet largely ignored by the state. The “Jomadars” or the people living in the area responsible for the waste segregation and disposal, are mostly migrant laborers living in abject poverty in thatched, frail houses. These people are exposed to toxic fumes and gases, which rise from the burning of the waste. Though living on false hopes of soon having a better life, there is no sense of despondency in them: maybe they have adjusted themselves to their destiny or maybe they are waiting for a better future which seems bleak.
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Debmalya Ray Choudhuri is a visual storyteller from Kolkata, India who likes weaving tales through imagery. He believes that photography is a powerful medium of change in the coming century and can shape and reshape opinions and ideas. Photography is not just about one moment, it is also about the aftermath and the past of the moment. Working as a social entrepreneur and photojournalist has enabled him to think deeply about societal concerns and he wants to portray his viewpoint through use of his imagery.