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Springing from the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, is one of the biggest and most densely populated cities in the world, Dhaka is also among the fastest growing. Today, the river is terribly toxic; the Bangladesh government estimates that about 21,000 cubic meters of untreated industrial sewage is released into its waters every day. According to Human Rights Watch, residents in neighboring slums regularly suffer from fevers, skin diseases, respiratory problems, and diarrhea. The dire contrast between what the river once was — a literally life-giving force — and what it has become caught the attention of Italian-born photojournalist Ugo Borga. As part of a still-ongoing project started in September 2013, Living on the Death River, Borga photographed and interviewed workers and people living near the Buriganga, chronicling the human and environmental catastrophe unfolding there.
In his statement about Living on the Death River, Borga quotes Jamil Sharif, activist and founder of Buriganga River Keeper: “Buriganga gave life to Dhaka,” Sharif says, “and Dhaka killed it.”
Read more: Photos of Bangladesh’s Toxic River - LightBox http://lightbox.time.com/2014/01/20/life-on-a-death-river-in-bangladesh/#ixzz2reFlnoqQ |
