• A man stands in the Ganges River at sunset near the Howrah bridge in Kolkata. Upon entering the city, the river is saturated with a mix of domestic and industrial waste that has accumulated as it has passed through numerous states in northern India, making it one of the most polluted rivers in the world. India. November, 2013
  • People wash in the Ganges River at sunset near the Howrah bridge in Kolkata. Upon entering the city, the river is saturated with a mix of domestic and industrial waste that has accumulated as it has passed through numerous states in northern India, making it one of the most polluted rivers in the world. India. November, 2013
  • Three men wash in the Ganges River at sunset near the Howrah bridge in Kolkata. Upon entering the city, the river is saturated with a mix of domestic and industrial waste that has accumulated as it has passed through numerous states in northern India, making it one of the most polluted rivers in the world. India. November, 2013
  • A child jumps in the Ganges River near a jetty in Kolkata. Upon entering the city, the river is saturated with a mix of domestic and industrial waste that has accumulated as it has passed through numerous states in northern India, making it one of the most polluted rivers in the world. India. November, 2013
  • Two men wash in the Ganges River near near the Howrah bridge in Kolkata. Upon entering the city, the river is saturated with a mix of domestic and industrial waste that has accumulated as it has passed through numerous states in northern India, making it one of the most polluted rivers in the world. India. November, 2013
  • Villagers stand among piles of e-waste in the village of Sangrampur, located south of Kolkata in northeast India. Globally, an estimated 50 million tons of e-waste are produced annually, and much of it ends up in countries like India. November, 2013
  • A man holds recycled electronics in his hands in the village of Sangrampur, located south of Kolkata in northeast India. Globally, an estimated 50 million tons of e-waste are produced annually, and much of it ends up in countries like India. November, 2013
  • Secondhand electronics dealers collect old computer monitors in the Chandni Chowk market in central Kolkata. India. November, 2013
  • People wash in the Ganges River at sunset near the Howrah bridge in Kolkata. Upon entering the city, the river is saturated with a mix of domestic and industrial waste that has accumulated as it has passed through numerous states in northern India, making it one of the most polluted rivers in the world. India. November, 2013
  • A man washes in the Ganges River near near the Howrah bridge in Kolkata. Upon entering the city, the river is saturated with a mix of domestic and industrial waste that has accumulated as it has passed through numerous states in northern India, making it one of the most polluted rivers in the world. India. November, 2013
  • Secondhand electronics dealers collect old computer monitors in the Chandni Chowk market in central Kolkata. India. November, 2013
  • Crows watch over Hindu idols and piles of garbage discarded near the banks of the Ganges River. India. November, 2013
  • Two children in the grounds of a brick factory, in the Malancha district of eastern Kolkata. As their parents work nearby, children often play in the area, exposing them to harmful materials and waste produced in the industrial process. India. November, 2013
  • A man sleeps on a bike near farmland on the outskirts of Kolkata, India. November, 2013
  • Porters carrying heavy goods in a market in central Kolkata, India. November, 2013
  • A man washes himself at sunset on the banks of the Ganges River, in central Kolkata. India. November, 2013
  • A boy working in a store in the Chandni Chowk electronics market in Kolkata, India. November, 2013
  • Tannery waste water, mixed with domestic trash, is discharged directly into the Ganges River, India's holiest of waterways.
  • A man in the city of Kanour, India. The city is notorious for having some of the country's worst water pollution which is created by the local leathery tannery industry. Waste water laced with toxic chemicals, such as chromium, is discharged in local waterways and agricultural land which is used many residents who live in the nearby area. An array of health problems now afflict locals who use the water including cancers, mental health problems, child development issues and skin diseases.
  • Smoke billows from a chimney on the premises of a leathery tannery factory. The city of Kanpur is now India's largest exporter of leather products. Sever air and water pollution now affect the city and are causing health problems for residents and the degradation of the local Ganges River ecology.
  • A man cuts pieces of leather in a small, informal leather factory in the city of Kanpur, India.
  • Rakesh, 16, strokes a piece of leather in the factory where he works in the India city of Kanpur. He suddenly lost the sight in his left eye as a child and is one of many people in the area suffering from health development issues. The city is notorious for having some of the country's worst water pollution which is created by the local leathery tannery industry. Waste water laced with toxins, such as chromium, is discharged in local waterways and agricultural land which is used many residents who live in the nearby area. An array of health problems now afflict locals who have worked in the tanneries, or use the local water. Health effects have included cancers, mental health problems, child development issues and skin diseases.
  • A child worker trims pieces of leather outside of a tannery in the Jajmau area of Kanpur. The city is now India's leading exporter of leather goods, much of which is destined for western markets.
  • A small pool of red water sits in a footprint in near a waste water channel in the town of Kanpur, in northern India. The water is laced with toxins and is highly acidic, giving it its distinct colour. The city is notorious for having some of the country's worst water pollution which is created by the local leathery tannery industry.
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