The Buriganga River gave life to Dhaka and Dhaka destroyed it. Chemical agents such as hexavalent chromium, mercury, sulphuric acid, formaldehyde, toluene, cadmium, chromium acetate are responsible for the death of the Buriganga River and for thousands of cases of severe intoxication, often with fatal consequences for the people who work or live in the surrounding areas. South Dhaka, Bangladesh
Springing from the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, is a burgeoning megacity. Already one of the biggest and most densely populated cities in the world, Dhaka is also among the fastest growing. The teeming metropolis — like so many ancient cities — initially flourished in large part because of its proximity to a great river; the Buriganga’s countless boats and launches provided easy access to other parts of India, making Dhaka a prime location for trade. The Buriganga was also, at one time, the city’s primary source of drinking water.
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.
Borga came across Human Rights Watch’s October 2012 report, Toxic Tanneries, which details the health and safety crisis among tannery workers in Bangladesh. The report also notes that tannery wastewater contaminates the Buriganga with animal flesh, sulfuric acid, chromium, and lead. The photographer then spent two months researching the region before embarking on a 20-day trip to Bangladesh. 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.”
Ugo Borga is a photographer represented by Echo photo agency.
Sara Distin is a writer and editor based in Boulder, CO, and Brooklyn, NY. Follow her on Twitter lightbox
Ugo Lucio Borga (b. 1972, Italy) is an award winning photojournalist and writer focusing on war reporting, humanitarian and social features throughout Africa, Asia, South America, Middle East, Europe.
His articles and reportage have appeared on many newspapers, magazines, tv and radio including The Guardian, The Observer, The Independent (England), Die Zeit, Die Welt, Frankfurter Rundschau, Brigitte (Germany), La Vanguardia Magazine (Spain),La Croix, Courrier international (France), Die Presse (Austria),Tyzden (Slovakia), Haaretz, Gazeta Wyborcza (Poland), Alpha Magazine,(UAE), Africa Magazine, Diario, l’Espresso, il Giornale, Il Sole24Ore, GQ, Nigrizia,Vps, Panorama, PeaceReporter, Rolling Stone, il Riformista, Sportweek, la Stampa, Topolino, Vanity Fair, il Venerdi di Repubblica, il Corriere della sera, Lotta continua, Mondadori (strade blu), Rai3,Rainews24,sky tg24 jetlag,Channel4, Radio24, RadioRSI
He has reported extensively from countries such as Syria, Lybia, Somalia, RDC, RCA, Rwanda, Kosovo, Mali, Guinea, Sry Lanka, Indonesia,covering, among others, the Arab Spring, the civil war in RDC, RCA, Somalia, Lybia, Syria, and the religious clashes emergency in Northern Lebanon . In 2009, his exclusive feature documentary on the Somali war appeared on Channel 4. He received the first prize at the 2011 Novinarska Cena journalism award for a series of stories on rebels during the Libyan war.
Ugo Lucio Borga join Echo Photo Agency (www.echophotoagency.com) in 2012
He is available for assignments anywhere in the world.
All images © UGO LUCIO BORGA/ECHO